Asecond witness identified only as Abidat, who is also a medical practitioner, told a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Friday how she was called by former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to procure the medical reports for different amounts.
The witness said Fani-Kayode gave her N120,000 for the first forged medical certificate, N150,000 for the second forged medical report, N250,000 to procure the third forged medical report and the sum of N300,000 for the fourth forged medical report.
She also told Justice O.O Abike-Fadipe that Fani-Kayode dictated what the content of the medical report should contain.
Fani-Kayode is facing 12 counts before Justice Abike-Fadipe brought against him by the EFCC following his alleged use of forged medical report(s) tendered before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for an alleged N4.9billion fraud.
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 court 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 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.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when he was first arraigned on December 17, 2021.
At resumed proceedings on Thursday, the prosecution’s first witness, Bassey Amah, who introduced himself as Head, Medical Records, Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, was cross-examined by the lead defence counsel, N.I. Quakers, SAN.
Under cross-examination, Quakers, through the witness, tendered in evidence a certified true copy of his hospital’s identity card, and it was thereafter admitted in evidence as Exhibit P2.
Quakers had noted during cross-examination that on the said identity card, the witness was identified as Assistant Chief Medical Record Officer, while he told the court that he was the head of the hospital’s Medical Record Unit.
Under re-examination by lead prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness, however, clarified that what was on the identity card was his rank and that by designation he is the head of the Medical Record Unit.
The defence also through the witness, tendered in evidence the extrajudicial statement of the witness, which was volunteered to the EFCC in the course of investigations and it was admitted as Exhibit P3.
Through the witness, the defence also tendered in evidence the letter of the EFCC addressed to the Managing Director of the hospital with respect to investigation into the said medical report.
The letter and its attachment were admitted in evidence as Exhibit P4 and P4a.
Upon the discharge of the Pw1, the prosecution team called the second witness, Abidat, a medical practitioner who informed the court how she was called by FFK to procure the medical reports for different amounts.
The learned trial judge adjourned the matter to enable the prosecution to tender the witness’s phone as evidence.
The case has been adjourned until April 8 and 29, 2022 for continuation of trial.
