A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered that the former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, be remanded in prison custody.
Justice Okon Abang, in a ruling, also ordered that Maina’s 20-year old son, Faisal, be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
Justice Abang ordered their remand after they were arraigned on different charges filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Maina was arraigned with a firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, in a 12-count charge of money laundering, operating fictitious accounts and other alleged fraudulent activities, using some banks in the country.
Maina’s son was arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.
Faisal was accused of operating an account in a bank with a different name. He was also said to be in possession N58 million, which he ought to know forms part of corrupt proceeds.
Maina and son pleaded not guilty to the charges, following which Justice Abang ordered that Faisal be remanded at the IGP Tactical Squad Command in Asokoro, Abuja, where the police are said to be investigating him on alleged illegal possession of firearms.
During the proceedings in Maina’s case, which was conducted earlier, shortly after he pleaded to the charge, and the prosecuting lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, sought a date for the commencement of trial, his (Maina’s) lawyer, Ahmed Raji, SAN, drew the court’s attention to a bail application he had filed before yesterday.
Raji attempted to move the bail application but was opposed by Abubakar, who queried its competence.
The EFCC lawyer contended that the defendants were putting the cart before the horse, noting that the issue of bail application could only be raised at a further date.
Abubakar noted that the hearing notice served on all parties in the case indicated that all should come prepared for trial to begin, since the charge, proof of evidence, list of witnesses, among others, had been served on the defendants.
He acknowledged being served the bail application filed by Raji and said he was yet to file a response.
Abubakar argued that his inability to file a response before now should not be taken to imply that the prosecution was not opposing bail.
“Anytime the defence counsel files a competent bail application, we will vehemently oppose it,” he added.
When asked by the judge what he meant by his argument that the bail application by Raji was incompetent, Abubakar stressed that the application was incompetent because it was filed before the defendants were arraigned.
The judge equally asked Raji to address him on the implication of Section 356(1) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) on the bail application.
The section of the ACJA provides that bail application could only be filed after arraignment.
Responding, Raji sought time to react to the question and therefore pleaded for an adjournment.
Justice Abang then adjourned until November 19 this year for parties to address the court on the propriety and competence of the bail application.
As it relates to the second defendant (the firm said to belong to Maina), its lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (a lawyer in Raji’s law firm) urged the court to enter a not guilty plea for the company.
Abubakar later informed the court that he was ready for trial and was willing to call his first witness, a position Raji objected to and argued that, as provided in Section 36 of the Constitution, the defendant was entitled to time for adequate preparation for his defence.
Raji noted that the proof of evidence served on the defendant was in four volumes of 500 pages each, and that he has not had time to discuss with the defendant, saying he was only given seven minutes to chat with Maina at the office of the EFCÇ without privacy.
Justice Abang then adjourned until October 30 for commencement of trial, and ordered that Maina be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja.