…as court fixes April 13 to resume his father’s trial
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, declined to allow the son of former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abulrasheed Maina, Faisal, to re-open his defence to the money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.
The court, in a chamber ruling that was delivered by trial Justice Okon Abang, held that the application the Defendant filed to recall all the witnesses the EFCC brought to testify against him, lacked merit.
Justice Abang accordingly dismissed the application, even as he fixed May 18 for the anti-graft agency to adopt its final written address to enable the court to deliver judgement in the matter.
21-year-old Faisal who is facing a three-count money laundering charge, had since June 24, 2020, failed to appear before the court for his trial, a development that led to the revocation of his bail.
The court had on November 24, 2020, issued a bench warrant for security agencies to arrest him wherever he is found.
Aside from initiating a committal proceeding against his surety, the court gave EFCC the nod to conduct the trial in the absence of Defendant.
In a ruling it delivered on February 4, the court, ordered a member of the House of Representatives for Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency, Umar Dan-Galadima, who stood surety for Faisal, to forfeit his Abuja property which was worth the Defendant’s N60million bail bond.
The Prosecution had since closed its case against him after it called three witnesses that testified in the matter.
Meanwhile, though Faisal had yet to appear before the court, his lawyer, Mr. Anayo Adibe, approached the court, begging it to in the interest of justice and fair hearing, allow the Defendant to recall the witnesses for the purpose of cross-examining them.
Adibe specifically prayed the court to vacate its order that forclosed his client from entering…
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