Ex-Pension Chairman, Maina Released From Prison
LAGOS JULY 29TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, who is being prosecuted on money laundering charges, has been released from the Kuje prison in Abuja.
A lawyer in his defence team, Ademola Adedipe, confirmed this to our correspondent on Tuesday.
Adedipe said Maina had been in detention since November 2019 following his arraignment before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
His release came about a month after the judge accepted the Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, as surety for the bail earlier granted the defendant.
“He (Maina)was released about 6pm on Monday. We are happy that he had been released. He can now attend to his health and have unfettered access to his defence team in preparation for his defence in court,” Adedipe told The PUNCH on Tuesday.
Asked why it took about a month after the judge in a ruling delivered on June 29, 2020 accepted Ndume to stand surety for the defendant, Adedipe said, “There was nothing spectacular. It was due to administrative issues.”
He also confirmed that the defendant’s release was based on Ndume’s suretyship.
“Yes, he was released based on Senator Ndume’s suretyship,” the lawyer added.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Maina, who hails from Borno State like Ndume, was granted bail by the court on November 26, 2019, but has remained in detention due to his inability to meet the conditions imposed by the court.
His team of lawyers later applied to the court for a review of the bail conditions.
Granting the request in his ruling delivered on January 28, 2020, Justice Abang reduced, among others, the bail sum from N1bn to N500m.
The judge, who earlier demanded two serving senators as sureties for the bail, reviewed it to one senator, who must be prepared to accompany him to court every trial date and have property worth N500m in either Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse II, Central Business District or Katampe districts in Abuja.
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Posted by News Rangers
on Jul 29 2020. Filed under National.
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