Alleged N2.1bn pension fraud: I’m ready to testify in Maina’s case, Falana tells court

Femi Falana (SAN) on Thursday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he is ready to testify in the ongoing trial of the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT,) Abdulrasheed Maina, who is facing a 12-count charge along with his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Limited.

The former pension reform boss who opened his defence to the charge on March 1, had applied for the court to compel Falana (SAN) and nine other persons to appear as witnesses in the matter.

The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, on the request by Maina also summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); the erstwhile Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emiefele, among others, to appear as witnesses.

According to the former pension boss, the evidence of the subpoenaed witnesses would be crucial to his defence of the money laundering charge preferred against him by the anti-graft agency.

Falana entered the courtroom on Thursday while Maina’s second defence witness (DW2), Emoakemeh Charles, was giving his evidence-in-chief.

Midway into the testimony of the witness, Justice Abang told the parties that he was minded to adjourn the case to another day to enable him to attend to other matters.

At that juncture, a lawyer in Falana’s chambers, Mr Marshal Abubakar, drew the attention of the counsel that represented Maina on Thursday, Adaji Abel, to the presence of his principal (Falana) in court.

When the court was notified, Falana, though not robed in his wig and gown, took the floor and addressed the court.

He said: “My lord, I learnt that I have been summoned. Even though I have not been served anything, but I am here today out of respect for the court. I will go and collect the summons from the bailiff myself,” adding that he had no problem testifying in the matter.

While commending him for showing such respect to the court, Justice Abang explained that all the summons were issued at the behest of defendant.

The matter was subsequently adjourned till March 17 and 18, 2021 for the continuation of the hearing.

Meanwhile, the second defence witness, a retired Superintendent of Prisons, told the court that Maina’s fight against ghost pensioners in the country, helped the Federal Government to recover over N10 billion.

He told the court that before Maina was appointed the Chairman of the defunct PRTT which handled the verification of pensions for Customs, Immigration and Prison Officers, CIPO.

The witness said it was because of the way Maina discharged his functions that he was appointed to lead the PRTT, which he said had members drawn from the EFCC, ICPC and the DSS.

Charles told the court that he was among pensioners that Maina took from CIPO to the PRTT to assist him in identifying ghost pensioners across the 36 states of the federation, through biometric exercise.

EFCC had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2019, alleged that Maina used a bank account that was operated by his firm and laundered funds to the tune of about N2.1 billion, part of which he used to acquire landed properties in Abuja.

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