Court refuses Maina’s request to further review bail conditions

A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected the request by the Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina to further review the conditions attached to the bail granted him on November 26, 2019.

Maina being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on money laundering related charges, has been unable to meet the condition attached to the bail.

He (Maina) had approached the court in January with an application seeking the bail condition granted to him asking that he provides two serving senators with landed properties worth N500m each in Maitama or Asokoro as surety.

Mr. Maina who is standing trial for alleged money laundering urged the court to drop the said conditions which he described as excessive and stringent.

At the hearing of the bail variation application filed by Maina on December 6, 2019, the defendant’s lawyer, Mr. Afam Osigwe, said while his client had met other conditions, it had been impossible for him to get senators to serve as the sureties.

The court later varied the bail condition granted to Mr. Maina to one serving Senator or member of House of Representative or a Director in the Federal Civil Service who must attend all proceedings.

The former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N2 billion fraud.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Okon Abang faulted the latest application for review and held that it was unmeritorious.

Justice Abang held that the applicant was wrong to have dictated to the court the conditions he preferred.

“The 1st defendant failed to place materials before the court with, convincing reasons, to show that there exist exceptional circumstances to warrant the variation of the conditions of the bail earlier varied.

“The application filed by the 1st defendant lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge said.