Fani-Kayode paid N820,000 for forged medical report, Witness tells Court

A witness in the ongoing trial of Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minster of Aviation, has narrated how he allegedly paid N820,000 for fake medical reports.   The ex-minister, who is standing trial for alleged corruption, had reportedly forged medical reports to evade appearing in court. Testifying before a special offences court in Lagos, ABIDAT, a media practitioner, narrated how she was called by Fani-Kayode to procure the medical reports for different amount.   She 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 N300,000 for the fourth forged medical report.   She also told Justice O.O Abike-Fadipe that Fani-Kayode dictated what should be 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 EFCC 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 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.”   He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when he was first arraigned on December 17, 2021.   At resumed of proceeding 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 ID 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 ID 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.   The case has been adjourned till April 8 and 29, 2022 for continuation of trial.