Senator Ndume sent to Prison over failure to produce Maina in court

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Senator Ndume sent to Prison over failure to produce Maina in court

Senator Ali Ndume has been ordered by a Federal High Court to be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre for failing to produce the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, AUTHENTIC NEWS GIANT learnt.

Ndume who is representing Borno South, stood as surety for Maina who is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges.

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However, Maina has repeatedly failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial which led to the revocation of his bail by Justice Okon Abang.

The justice also ordered a bench warrant for Maina’s arrest anywhere he is sighted.

Previously a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the revocation of bail of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman, defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT)’s bail.

AUTHENTIC learnt that Justice Okon Abang gave the order in a ruling on Wednesday.

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Earlier, EFCC’s Lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, while making the applications, told the court that the former pension boss, who was granted bail in the sum of N500 million jumped bail.

Following the development, the Justice also issued a bench warrant for Maina’s arrest anywhere he is sighted.

Justice Abang ordered security agents in the country to arrest Maina anywhere he is found and bring him before the court to face the consequences of his jumping the bail granted him by the court.

Before issuing the order for his arrest Justice Abang revoked the N500 million bail he granted Maina on the ground that the bail had been abused following his persistent absence in court.

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The Judge, who also granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Maina’s trial in the fraud charges is conducted in his absence, gave Maina’s surety, Senator Ali Ndume till November 23, 2020, to show cause why he should not forfeit to the federal government, the N500 million bail bond he endorsed for the bail of Maina.

Recall that the EFCC had, on October 25, 2019, charged Maina and his son, Faisal, before the court alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.

Maina pleaded not guilty to the 12-count charge and Justice Abang on January 28, varied his bail conditions, following his inability to meet the bail terms granted him in November last year.

Abang reduced Maina’s bail condition from N1 billion to N500 million with a surety in the like sum who must be a serving senator as opposed to the earlier order of producing two serving senators.

The judge ruled that the surety, who should not have any criminal case pending in any court, must have a landed property fully developed in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, Katampe or Central Business Districts of Abuja, with Certificate of Occupancy attached as evidence.

Abang also ruled that the senator though would always come to the court at every adjourned date, only needed to come and sign a court register that would be opened at the registry, among other terms.

 

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