• Judge threatens to strike out ex-CAS alleged N13b fraud suit
• Court fines EFCC, Immigration N15m over travel ban placed on Seinye Lulu-Briggs
The Head of Medical Records at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, Mr. Bassey Amah, yesterday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, did not have medical records at the hospital.
Amah stated this while giving evidence during the commencement of Fani-Kayode’s trial for alleged forgery of a medical certificate to evade trial at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The witness, led in evidence by the lead prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, said he was the chief custodian of medical records at the hospital and that the defendant does not have a record with the hospital.
“Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode is not our patient and he does not have any medical record with us. The doctor that signed the report is not our doctor.
“In fact, we do not have any Dr. Tochukwu Eze at our hospital,” he said.
The defence counsel, Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN), however, objected to tendering of the document, saying that the witness is not the maker of the documents.
Responding, Oyedepo said that the documents to be tendered were public documents.
Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe admitted the documents in evidence, saying that there is no need to bring the authors of the documents to court for the documents to be admissible.
The judge noted that the witness testified that he was the Head of Medical Records of Kubwa General Hospital and that the letter was issued by the hospital’s medical director.
“In this case, I have certified that the witness in the box is competent to give evidence in court. I, therefore, admit the documents in evidence,” Abike-Fadipe said.
The judge adjourned the case until February 25 for continuation of trial.
IN another development, a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, threatened to strike out a suit by former Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt.- Gen. Kenneth Minimah (rtd), seeking to stop his planned prosecution in an alleged N13 billion-fraud case.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo got angry when the counsel to the former CAS, Mr. Efut Okoi, asked the judge to give him more time to enable him complete his amended processes.
The counsel attributed the delay in amending his processes to one of his witnesses being indisposed.
However, Justice Ekwo wondered why an application that was brought since 2020 had taken almost two years and yet, the plaintiffs have not been able to put their house in order.
“You are not serious. I have told you how I feel. I don’t know how that feelings will manifest hereafter,” the judge reacted.
On his own, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, said he viewed the lawyer’s attitude as a “serious concern” because it is delaying their prosecution.
The judge, who agreed to give the plaintiffs a grace of one month to do the needful, fixed March 23, 2022 for hearing of the suit.
MEANWHILE, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to pay N15 million over the unlawful seizure of a passport belonging to Seinye Lulu-Briggs, wife of late oil magnate, Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs.
Justice Ayokunle Faji gave the order in a fundamental rights suit filed by Lulu-Briggs, who is the Chief Executive of Moni Pulo Limited.
