Maina: Falana Appears In Court, To Testify In Money Laundering Trial

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, was at the FCT Federal High Court sitting on Thursday following a subpoena compelling him to testify in the trial of the embattled former chairman of the Pension Reform TaskTeam, Abdulrasheed Maina.

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When he was spotted by trial judge Okong Abang, Falana immediately stood up to inform the court that he had read about a subpoena on him and was present to show respect for court.

THE WHISTLER reported that the court had on Wednesday issued a subpoena compelling the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, Director of Compliance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Falana, among others, to appear before it to testify in the case.

Maina’s first defense witness, Ihuoma Ngozika had claimed that the SAN benefitted from an unlawful disposal of 222 choice properties by the EFCC under Magu.

Speaking before Justice Abang, Falana said: “My lord, I read on paper that I have been summoned. My lord, I want to come.”

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But the Justice Abang told him that it was the defendant that sent the subpoena to the court, “then I signed.”

Meanwhile, Maina brought his second defense witness named Emoakeneh Charles, a retired Superintendent of Prison, to also testify in the ongoing trial.

According to Charles, Maina “recovered 10 billion for the federal government in CIPPO (Custom, Immigration, Prison Pension Office).”

He claimed that pensioners were missing Maina because of the work he had done for them, especially in the area of accessing pension.

On his part, the trial judge adjourned until 17 and 18 March for the evidence of defense witness 2 as well as the evidence of witnesses on the Subpoena.

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Recall that Abubakar Marshall of the Falana Falana Chambers, while speaking to our correspondent, had debunked accusations made against Falana by Ngozika.

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