BREAKING: Court Grants Maina N1bn Bail

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the Chairman of the defunct pension reform task team Abdulrashid Maina in the sum of one billion naira with two sureties in like sum.

The court ruling said both sureties must be serving Nigerian Senators with no criminal cases before the court.

Also, both sureties must have fully developed landed property in Maitama or Asokoro district of Abuja.

According to the court ruling on Monday, the sureties must also submit 3-years tax clearance certificates and must appear at all further court rulings with the 1st defendant.

The court also noted that the sureties must file an affidavit to show they can pay the penance sum.

It was also stipulated in the ruling that the residence of sureties must be in Abuja and will be confirmed by the court.

Trial Judge, Justice Okon Abang in his ruling stressed that if any surety does not show up for rulings, the court shall be at liberty to revoke bail and the defendant will be remanded accordingly.

He said the defendant is required to submit his American passport, Nigerian passport and diplomatic passport(if any).

Maina was on October 25, arraigned alongside a firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Okon Abang.

He was charged with 12 counts bordering on money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud.

Maina is the 1st defendant in the case while the company was the 2nd defendant.

Earlier on Monday, a claim made by Maina that he was not fit for trial was contradicted after a medical report submitted to the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja by Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) proved otherwise.

According to the medical report, Maina is fit for trial. The medical examination which was conducted on the order of the court reports that his health is well under control and can stand trial

However his counsel, Miss Esther Uzoma had argued that the medical record was not submitted to her and advised the court to disregard the report

The court however ignored this plea.

The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang had earlier ordered a medical examination of the defendant by the medical director of the Nigerian Correctional Services after Maina through his lawyer had complained of being ill.

Maina’s lawyer last week Thursday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that his client was bleeding during the trial.

The alleged N2billion fraud case of the former pension reform boss was called for a continuation of trial on Thursday, but his counsel asked that his client be allowed to take his medication.

The advocate stated that his client cannot stand trial while the issue of his health status is still a question before the court.

He informed the court that it adjourned to receive a report from the Nigerian correctional services in the health status of Maina and since the Nigerian correctional service has asked for one week to turn in a report it will only be appropriate to await the same.