Court rejects Maina’s fresh request for bail variation

A federal high court in Abuja has refused to further vary the bail conditions granted to Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT).

Maina was arraigned on 12 counts of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 25, 2019.

He was granted a N1 billion bail with two senators standing as sureties, on November 25, 2019, but his legal team said he could not fulfill the terms of the bail.

Following an appeal for a review of the bail condition,  on January 28, Okon Abang, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, reduced Maina’s bail bond to N500 million and asked him to produce one senator as a surety.

However, in a fresh application, the former PRTT sought a second review of his bail terms on grounds that no senator is willing to stand as a surety for him.

Ruling on the application on Wednesday, the judge said: “The 1st defendant failed to place materials before the court with, convincing reasons, to show that there exist exceptional circumstances to warrant the variation of the conditions of the bail earlier varied.

“The application filed by the 1st defendant lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed.”

The court also dismissed an application by the EFCC praying for the revocation the bail granted to the defendant.

Mohammed Abubakar, counsel to the EFCC had alleged that the defendant (Maina) had perfected plans to assassinate him but the judge said he could not substantiate the claim.

“No matter the gravity of the allegation against the 1st defendant (Maina), it remains allegations, not yet proved,” the judge held.

“Should the court proceed to grant the prosecution’s request, it will amount to denying the defendant fair hearing when the investigation was still on and the defendant had not been heard on the issue.

“I have no option than to believe the 1st defendant that security agencies have not heard from him. There is no proof before the court that the defendant has threatened the life of the prosecution counsel and his witnesses,”