Ex-Pension Chief, Maina and his son remanded in custody

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered that former chairman of the Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina be remanded in prison until he perfects his bail application.

The pension chief had pleaded not guilty to the 12 counts filed against him, but following a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Justice Okon Abang said the ex-pension boss should be remanded in prison.

The court, according to Punch also ordered that Maina’s son, Faisal be remanded in the custody of the Police Special Technical Squad in Abuja.

During Faisal’s trial, lawyer for the EFCC said that the son of the pension chief was being investigated for illegal possession of firearm and also allegedly used it on operatives during the arrest of his father.

Maina and his son were said to have been arraigned before the court on Friday on similar but different charges.

Faisal Maina in white attire and a blue cap also being tried for alleged possession of a firearm. (TheCable) Pulse Nigeria

While the former Chairman of the Pension Reforms Task Team, is facing 12 counts of money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud, his son is charged with three counts of receiving money known to be from unlawful proceeds under a fictitious name, Punch reports.

They both pleaded not guilty, but after taking Maina’s plea, EFCC lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, prayed the court to permit the prosecution to call his first witness for commencement of trial.

Punch reports that after listening to both parties, the judge said it would amount to a lack of fair hearing if the trial commenced without adequate preparations by the defendant.

The judge consequently adjourned Maina’s trial till October 30 for hearing and November 19 for suitability of the bail application filed before arraignment.

The court asked the defendant to file and serve a written address on the prosecution within 10 days.

After seeing what apprehend in Maina’s case, Punch reports that the defence withdrew the earlier bail application filed before Faisal’s arraignment. As a result, Justice Abang struck it out and fixed trial for November 6.

The Department of State Service (DSS) arrested Maina alongside his 20-year-old son in September in an Abuja hotel.