Maina’s Son, Faisal, Escapes To U.S., EFCC Tells Court
Faisal Maina who is currently facing money laundering charges in Nigeria with his father, Abdulrasheed Maina, has fled the country to avoid facing full prosecution, EFCC has revealed.
Faisal Maina, son of Abdulrasheed Maina, embattled former director of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), has absconded to the United States, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told an Abuja High Court on Thursday.
Mohammed Abubakar, EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, while opposing a fresh bail application filed by Maina, said the younger Maina, who is being prosecuted on three counts of money laundering, is now in the U.S., fleeing prosecution.
Faisal was first arrested alongside his father in September 2019 for conniving with the latter to divert various sums of money, including ₦58 million to his UBA account. The two have since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
While the older Maina was released on a ₦500 million bail bond, his son jumped bail and they both fled to the neighbouring Niger Republic.
However, the former PRTT boss was rearrested while trying to obtain a fresh passport to run away to the U.S. last December.
Charged with 12-counts bordering on money laundering, Maina was extradited back to Nigeria by INTERPOL. He was apprehended by security operatives in Niamey, Niger Republic after he jumped bail to evade trial over the money laundering charges.
But his son, Faisal, slipped from the agency’s hands and then sneaked to the U.S. from Niger Republic, the EFCC counsel said on Thursday.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja ordered Faisal’s surety, Sani Dan-Galadima, who is a member of the House of Representatives, representing Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara State to forfeit a property used as a bail bond worth of N60million.
On Dec. 10, 2020, Abdulrasheed Maina collapsed in court as his trial resumed at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The incident occurred when the court registrar was reading proceedings that were ready for collection as his counsel Anayo Adibe addressed the court on his no-case submission before the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang.
He was hurriedly rushed out of the courtroom by Nigerian Correctional Centre officers as Justice Abang suspended the proceedings.
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