Justice Okon Abang moves to jail another lawmaker, revokes Maina’s son bail

By our reporter| A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday summoned Hon Sani Umar Dan-Galadima to appear over the trial of Faisal, son of former chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team (PPRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina in alleged N2 billion pension funds fraud.

Hon. Dan-Galadima (APC, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State), stood as a surety for Faisal in a N60m in bail bond.

In a ruling at the resumption of the trial of the former PENCOM boss son, Justice Okon Abang ordered the lawmaker to appear befor his court on Wednesday 25th November or a warrant of arrest will be issued against him.

The judge further issued a bench warrant against Maina’s son and EFCC’s application to try him in absentia under the provisions 184 of the Administration Criminal Justice Administration (ACJA) and 354(2) of the same Act.

“It is sufficient that the court deems it fit that the trial shall continue in the absence if the defendants. Therefore, the application of the prosecution succeeds,” he said.

Earlier, counsel to the EFCC, M.S. Abubakar informed the court that neither Faisal nor the surety was present in court contrary to the terms of the bail.

He requested the court to revoke the bail and summon the lawmaker to show cause why he would not go to jail or forfeit the bail bond.

Faisal was arraigned alongside his father on October 25, 2019 on separate three-count charges bordering on money laundering and concealment of proceeds of unlawful act.

He was alleged to have between October 2013 and June 2019 opened an anonymous account with the UBA as Alhaji Faisal Abdullahi Farma II while concealing his true identity.

Meanwhile, the court on Tuesday foreclosed Maina’s examination of the eight prosecution witness who testified in his absence.

The judge ruled that since the lawyers to Maina were absent from court without any explanation, they have waived their right to cross examine the witness to challenge the documents admitted by the court.

The court had on Monday jailed Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), who stood as surety for Maina following the ex-pension boss’s absence from court on a bail bond of N500m.