Maina: Court Adjourns Bail Variation Hearing

The Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned the hearing on Abdulrasheed Maina’s bail variation application.

Maina is a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Maina for charges bordering on money laundering.

Justice Okon Abang on Wednesday, adjourned till 16 March.

The matter was for the hearing of two motions from both the prosecution and the defence.

Mohammed Abubakar, represented EFCC Counsel while J.k Gadzama (SAN) represented Abdulrasheed Maina.

Furthermore, Maina had asked the FCT High Court to vary his bail conditions because he could not find “sufficient sureties who owned properties and whose names appear on the title documents”.

Recall that Justice Abang had on January 28, granted part of Maina’s prayers by changing his bail sum of N1bn to N500 million and the number of sureties to one.

In his ruling on Wednesday, Abang said that Maina’s counsel prayed the court to vary his bail condition and release him from custody.

He also said that the prosecution had prayed the court to dismiss Maina’s application till the conclusion of the trial.

But the defendant counsel prayed the court to adjourn the matter for him to properly respond to the prosecution’s motion, seeking the dismissal of his application.

“I am inclined to adjourn in the overall interest of justice.

“The court will take argument on the two motions on the 16th of March,” Abang said.