A former Minister of Aviation and one time spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation‎ for the 2015 election, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode on Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja of his intention to enter into plea bargain with the Federal government.

The ex-minister was arraigned on a five-count charge of corruption and money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Fani-Kayode who spoke through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), at the resumed trial before Justice John Tsoho yesterday told the court that his client would like to explore other avenue on how the matter will be amicably settled out of court.

Raji also prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him go through the file as he was just new in the matter.

“My Lord, I am just coming into the case, I will need time to go through the file; so I would like to crave the indulgence of the court for an adjournment to enable me familiarize myself with the case.

“Looking at the facts of the case and the money involved, I believe that there are other options we can explore.

“The case involves the sum of N26 million and the law allows you to explore the option of a plea bargain and so many other options rather than go through trial,” Raji said.

He added that if the EFCC was amenable to plea bargain, the defence would take the option.

On his part, the prosecuting counsel, Johnson Ojogbane said he was not opposing the application but however, asked the court to take cognizance of the fact that this was the second adjournment at the instance of the defence and asked for a definite date to commence trial.

The trial judge, Justice Tsoho subsequently adjourned till March 14, 2017 to commence trial in the matter.

Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the anti-graft agency before Justice Tsoho on a fresh five count charges bordering on money laundering.

The ex-aviation minister was accused of allegedly collecting N26 million from the Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Coll Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd) and using same for media campaign for the then ruling party, the PDP.

Count two of the charge read that, “You Femi Fani-Kayode, converted N26 million cash paid from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for the purpose of media campaign when you ought to have reasonably known that the said funds formed part of an unlawful act contrary to section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering Act.”

It will also be recalled that Fani-Kayode is facing another 17 count charge of money laundering before the Lagos division of the Federal High Court.