Court orders transfer of Maina’s son to Kuje prison

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the transfer of Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, son of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), to Kuje prison.

The younger Maina, who is standing trial for alleged corruption, has been in custody of the police.

But on Wednesday, Okon Abang, the presiding judge, gave the order following the request of Mohammed Monguno, Faisal’s lawyer who made an application praying the court to move his client to Kuje prison.

Faisal was arraigned on October 25 on a three-count charge of money laundering and illegal operation of an account.

On November 26, he was granted a N60 million bail.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Goje, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), narrated how a bank account and several properties were discovered in Faisal’s name.

While giving evidence as the second prosecution witness, Goje said the pension fraud team was set up in 2010 to conduct an investigation into pension accounts audit at the office of the head of civil service of the federation as well as the police.

“During that time, Abdulrasheed Maina was the chairman of the PRTT, established to restructure the pension office,” he said.

“He also became a subject of investigation. It was in the course of the investigation of Abdulrasheed Maina that the name of the defendant (Faisal) featured prominently.

“During the investigation of Abdulrasheed Maina, who was involved in a complex web of money laundering, which include movement of funds from the police pension account as well as the accounts of the pension office of the office of the head of service of the federation to corporate entities as payment for biometrics enrollment; payment of collective allowances and payment of contracts, which were fraudulent.”

Goje said the team also requested information from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and banks about several companies they found out during their investigation.

He said they came across an account with the name “Alhaji Faisal Abdullahi Farms”. According to the witness, the account is being run by Abdulrasheed Maina while Faisal is a co-signatory.

He added that investigation carried out by the team revealed that the account was funded with illegal proceeds.

“We came across the following companies: Drew Investment & Construction Company LTD, Cruise City Ltd; Northridge Property Int’l Ltd; Mambilla Resorts. These companies have the defendant (Faisal) as a director,” Goje said.

“We also discovered that a property at Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna, was acquired in the name of Drew Investment & Construction Ltd. We also discovered that another property at Gombe Road, Biu LGA of Borno state was acquired in the name of Cruise City Ltd.

“We also discovered that a property at No. 3a Sambo road, Kaduna, was acquired in the name of Faisal A. Abdullahi. A property at Plot 165 Life Camp, Abuja was acquired in the name of Doctor Faisal A. Abdullahi. A property at No 16e, Katuru road, Kaduna was also acquired in the name of Faisal A. Abdullahi.

“The full name of the defendant is Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina but in the course of filling the declaration of assets form, he indicated his grandfather’s name as Abdullahi.”

The judge adjourned the matter till 16 December for continuation of trial.