Money Laundering Trial: Witness Reveals Maina Operated Bank Accounts Using Family Members’ Names

A witness called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC), Rouqayya Ibrahim, has told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, that Abdulrasheed Maina, embattled former Chairman of the Pension Reform Taskforce Team,
used names of family members to operate different bank accounts.

EFCC is prosecuting Maina for allegedly laundering funds up to 2 billion naira.

Justice Okong Abang presided over the matter on Wednesday.

During cross examination, Maina’s lawyer, Anayo Adibe, asked Ibrahim ( an EFCC investigator) if she was there when his client opened various accounts in Fidelity Bank and United Bank of Africa.

In her response, she said she was not physically there but added that in the course of the EFCC investigation, the banks disclosed how he opened the accounts through his family.

“The Defendant concealed his identity, using the information of his family members to open the account and operate the account.

“The photographs that appeared on the account packages are not the owners of the accounts.

“The photographs are not Maina’s face , however he supplied those pictures.

“I was informed by the banks that he supplied the photographs; I was not physically there.

“All the responses that we received from the banks were received based on our investigation activities.

“The funds must have been derived from the proceed of crimes… illegitimate sources.

“The defendant was in the habit of collecting cash payments from his staff and the account officers collecting these funds make deposits using different names,” she said.

Again, Maina’s lawyer, Anayo prayed the court to adjourn the trial so he could get and study the documents cited by the witness.

He argued that he is new in the case.

But Justice Abang objected, saying that the defendant was not new in the matter.

In his bench ruling, Abang noted it was very unfair to ask for adjournment, adding that the Defendant’s counsel prayers lacked merit.

“The first defendant counsel is not standing trial but the defendant. It is not the court that will tell the counsel what to do.

“I refuse adjournment on this…Maina was on the run when nobody pursued him,” he said.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that the court had ordered that Maina be remanded in correctional centre pending the conclusion of the trial after faulting him for jumping bail.