Court acquits Femi Fani-Kayode of medical forgery charges

A Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja has acquitted and discharged former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of medical forgery charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Delivering the ruling on a no-case submission filed by Fani-Kayode’s legal team, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the former minister. The court ruled that the EFCC did not provide sufficient evidence linking him to the alleged offence.

The case, filed by the EFCC, involved 12 charges accusing Fani-Kayode of forging medical reports, which he allegedly submitted before Justice Daniel Osiagor at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. These reports were part of his ongoing trial for alleged N4.9 billion fraud.

Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Norrison Quakers (SAN), successfully argued that his client had no case to answer, leading the court to uphold the submission and discharge him of all charges.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 11th day of October, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by fraudulently used a false document titled: Medical Report on Olufemi Fani-Kayode 60 Years/Male/Hosp. No. 00345 DATED 11/10/2021 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016 which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.”

Another count reads: “That you, Femi Fani-Kayode, on or about the 23rd day of March, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently used a false document titled: To Whom It May Concern Re: Femi Fani-Kayode Male/60 Years Hospital. No. 32145 Dated 23rd March 2021 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in charge No. FHC/L/251C/2016 which document you purported to have been issued by Kubwa General Hospital.”

The EFCC noted that procuring and execution of documents by false pretence is contrary to section 369 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

During the trial, the management of Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja had denied admitting Femi Fani-Kayode as one of its patients.

Through its head of medical records, Bassey Amah, the hospital management told Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe that a medical report presented in court by the former minister was not issued by the hospital.

Amah who testified before the court as first prosecution witness in the case said that Fani-Kayode is not a patient and has no medical report in the hospital.

A second prosecution witness, Abidat Bukola told the court how the former Minister of Aviation, allegedly gave her N820,000 to procure 4 forged medical reports.

The witness testified that Fani-Kayode at different times paid her the sums of N120,000, N150,000, N250,000 and N300,000 for the forged medical reports.

She also claimed that the former minister dictated what the content of the medical reports should be.

The former minister, however, denied the allegations.