Court refuses Maina’s fresh bail application

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, refused to hear a fresh bail application filed by former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.

Mohammed, a vacation judge, refused to hear the bail application filed by Maina’s counsel, Mr. David Iorhemba, on the grounds that it was contentious.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Andrew Ocholi, opposed the application, saying he had filed a counter-affidavit and a preliminary objection to show that the defendant was no longer entitled to bail.

The judge held that the application was contentious and as such could not be heard during the court’s vacation.

He returned the case to Justice Okon Abang, who has been the trial judge in the substantive case, to hear the bail application after the court’s vacation.

The former PRTT chief is standing trial alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Limited, on a 12-count charge of fraud and money laundering.

READ ALSO: Court to deliver judgment in Maina son’s money laundering trial October 4

The defendants were accused of laundering over N1 billion.

They were first arraigned on October 25, 2019, following which Justice Abang ordered that Maina be remanded Kuje Correctional Centre pending a hearing of his bail application.

Maina was released from the correctional centre in July 2020.

But the judge revoked the bail on November 18, 2020, after the defendant fled abroad.

He was later rearrested and returned to court.

Justice Abang ordered that he should be returned to the correctional centre till the end of the trial.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now