ALLEGED FRAUD: Maina Remanded in Correctional Facility, Son Remanded at Police Special Tactical Squad
Maina and son
By Shola Akingboye – October 25th, 2019
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to remand Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team, in the Nigerian Correctional Service’s centre pending the determination of the case, while on a separate but similar charge the court later ordered the detention of Faisal, who is Maina’s son at the Police Special Tactical Squad.
Justice Okon Abang, who gave the order adjourned Maina’s matter till Oct. 30 for the commencement of trial.
RegentAfrica Times had earlier reported the forfeiture of 23 property linked to him in a judgement delivered by justice Folashade Ogunbanjo. The anti-graft agency is arraigning the former pension task team chairman on a 12-count charge bordering on “money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud.”
The latest development is coming following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC and supported by a 30-paragraph affidavit which it brought pursuant to section 17 of Anti-money Laundering Act.
Maina is accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion.
It recalled that, the Federal Civil Service Commission had dismissed Maina in 2013 for “absconding from duty” but he returned to the country in 2017 and was reinstated as a director in the interior ministry, a move which did not go down well with the general public. Following the outrage, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered his dismissal and demanded a probe of his recall.
In the same vein, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has remanded Faisal Maina at the Police Special Tactical Squad.
Faisal Maina who is the son of former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina was arraigned on Friday by the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He pleaded not guilty to a 3-count bordering on money laundering and other offences.
Mr. Faisal Maina is being accused of operating an anonymous account between 2013 and 2016 and indirectly controlling an aggregate of over 58million naira between that period.
On October 3, he filed an asset declaration form in which he concealed some of his assets.
Having pleaded not guilty, the Prosecutor, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, urged the court to remand the defendant in police custody at the Special Tactical Squad Asokoro in Abuja, where he is being investigated for alleged illegal possession of firearms.
The matter has been adjourned to November 6 for the commencement of trial on a day to day basis as the court will not entertain frivolous applications for adjournment.
He will, therefore, be remanded at Police Special Tactical Squad pending the commencement of his trial.
