Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has been discharged and acquitted by the Ikeja special offences court in Lagos state.
The former minister was accused of 12 forgery-related charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ruling on Tuesday, the trial judge, Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, said the prosecution failed to link Fani-Kayode with the alleged offences.
In her verdict, Abike-Fadipe ruled that the EFCC had not provided enough evidence to prove the allegations.
“I have carefully studied the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and I cannot find where the defendant committed the alleged offence.
“The prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case that would require the defendant to open his defence”, the judge ruled.
He consequently discharged and acquitted the defendant of the alleged offences.
In December 2021, EFCC accused Fani-Kayode of forging a medical report to evade trial in another case.
The former minister was alleged to have hired Ogieva Oziegbe to produce the false document, which was presented at a federal high court in Ikoyi.
Fani-Kayode pleaded not guilty and later filed a no-case submission after the prosecution presented its witnesses.