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Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday, failed to appear in court in his corruption and money laundering charge proffered against him by the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, the court has fixed November 7 to rule on his bail application.
Maina was arraigned on October 25, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside a company, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, which was allegedly linked with him on a 12-count criminal charge bordering on corruption and money laundering.
Though Maina pleaded not guilty to all the charges, trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, however, ordered his remand in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application fixed for November 19.
But when the matter came up yesterday, his counsel, Francis Orosanya, withdrew an earlier motion for bail filed by Ahmed Raji (SAN), dated October 22 and replaced it with the application filed on October 25 by Joe Kyari-Gadzama (SAN), after the court had granted his application for abridgment of time.
Accordingly, Justice Okon Abang, struck out the motion for bail dated October 22 following it’s withdrawal.
Maina was not in court on account of ill health according to a medical report presented to the court.
Before the presentation of the medical report, neither Maina’s counsel or that of the prosecution could explain his absence, until an official of the Correctional Service signalled the judge indicating that he had a letter for the court.
Justice Abang, after reading the letter, informed the court that: “The first defendant is indisposed, unable and not fit to appear in court but would do so when his condition improves.”
Abang explained that the letter was signed by one Idowu Ajayi, a medical officer at the Correctional Service Centre. The Judge did not reveal the nature of Maina’s sickness that necessitated his absence in court.
Maina had at the proceedings of October 30, alleged that the judge had in the sitting of October 25, aggravated his blood pressure by his (judge) remarks.
His counsel, Gadzama, told Justice Abang, that his client told him that as a result of his remarks, his high blood pressure rose astronomically, and he felt so bad with the comment as if he had been convicted already.
Maina consequently sought the indulgence of the court if the case could be reassigned to another judge. But reacting to yesterday’s development, his counsel, Francis Oronsanye, urged the court to adjourn the matter till next week when he believed Maina would have fully recuperated to stand trial.
On his part, counsel to the second defendant, Adeola Adedipe, also aligned himself with the submission of Maina’s lawyer.
However, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, opposed the request that trial be adjourned till next week, expressing doubt in the truthfulness of the letter.
He submitted that since the letter did not say specifically when Maina would be disposed, adding that since trial was earlier fixed for November 4, 5, 6 and 7, the court would not vacate the sitting of November 6 and resume on November 7.
