Maina: Court Orders Malami, Magu, Falana, Others To Testify In Money Laundering Trial

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a subpoena compelling the former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, and the Director of Compliance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), among others, to appear before it to testify in the ongoing money laundering trial of embattled former chairman of the defunct PRTT, Abulrasheed Maina.

This followed a testimony given by the first defense witness, Ngozika Ihuoma, a management consultant to the Pension Reform Task Team.

Ngozika, who was discharged from the witness box on Tuesday, had claimed that the former pension boss saved about 282billion for the country.

The witness claimed that Maina helped the country secure an interim forfeiture of 222 choice properties of pension thieves valued at 1.63 trillion naira.

He also accused Magu of mismanaging the recovered assets by disposing it to some persons including Falana.

But reacting, Abubakar Marshal (of the Falana Falana Chambers) told our correspondent on Tuesday that either him or his boss will honour the subpoena, but noted that what the witness said about Falana were founded on lies. “It is all lies. I will be there,” he added.

Ngozika had said , “The Task Team told the Economic Management Team of then President Goodluck Jonathan, that it saved 282-billion-naira cash which was warehoused at the CBN…. as well as an Interim forfeiture of 222 choice properties of pension thieves valued at 1.63 trillion naira…”

During his cross-examination by the prosecution (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) on Tuesday, M.S. Abubakar, the witness was asked if he was paid to testify in court and to defend Maina despite the charges against him.

“Is it correct that on 6 November 2017, you appeared on AIT Television program, Focus Africa…You defended the first Defendant’s as a Chairman of the PRTT and you stated that if the Maina is invited to the Senate or EFCC, you will accompany him.

“Is it correct that when the first Defendant was arrested by the EFCC, you did not go to volunteer a statement of what you know?

“Is it correct that while the first Defendant was engaged in money laundering, you were engaged in image laundering?

“You were paid to come and testify in court?” he asked.

Ngozika responded: “I was not paid money to testify in court. I don’t know Maina as being involved in money laundering, so I wouldn’t have been laundering his image as a person; I have always defended him as Chairman, PRTT. I am not a member of his personal staff, neither is he my blood relation, but we have always met in the course of the PRTT.

“Yes, very well. I came on AIT as a public commentator and member of the Taskteam.”

Subsequently, the trial judge, Okong Abang, discharged him and adjourned the case to Wednesday, 10th of March.

Meanwhile, the court’s subpoena, which also invited the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, partly reads:

“You are commanded in the name of the president and commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend before this court at court 6, on 9th, 10th, 11th day of March 2021 at 9 o’clock in the forenoon, and so from day to day till the above case is tried, to give evidence on behalf of the 1st defendant.”