ALLEGED pension thief and Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, who is facing trial on alleged N2 billion money laundering charges on Wednesday prayed the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court to grant him fresh bail to enable him to seek medical attention for his deteriorating health.
At the resumed sitting on Wednesday, Maina’s lawyer, Anayo Adibe, Esq., informed trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, that he had filed a fresh bail application because of Mr Maina’s “worsening health condition” where he has been remanded.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting Maina, however objected to the fresh bail application, saying the claim of ill health was false.
In its counter affidavit, the EFCC said in a counter-affidavit opposing the fresh bail application that Maina had jumped bail and sneaked to Niger Republic where he sought “to obtain new travel documents at the Embassy of the United States of America (USA) in Niamey to enable him flee back to the USA with his family where he and his family are equally citizens.”
“The 1st defendant (Maina) did not suffer or undergo any treatment for any health challenge in his knee whether in Nigeria or in Niger Republic,” the counter-affidavit added.
Justice Abang, who said it was not convenient for him to hear the application on Wednesday, adjourned till February 1, 2021.
Justice Abang had in October last year revoked Mr Maina’s earlier bail after he fled the country to evade his trial. He (Abang) instead issued an arrest warrant against Maina, an order which led to his arrest in the Republic of Niger and his subsequent extradition to Nigeria.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) produced him in court to continue facing his trial on December 4 with the judge ordering his remand in prison for the remaining period of his trial.
