Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday granted N60 million bail to Faisal, the son of the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTM), Abdulrasheed Maina.
The judge, in a ruling on the bail application by Faisal, held that the defendant must provide a surety in like sum and that the surety could be from any part of the country but must be a serving member of the House of Representatives, who must have landed property in Abuja.
He said the surety must undertake to accompany the defendant to court at every proceeding till the end of the trial, and that should the surety be absent in court without any justifiable reason, the bail shall be revoked.
Justice Abang said that the lawmaker, who would produce a three-year tax clearance certificate, must not be standing criminal trial in any court.
“The chief registrar of this court shall ascertain the validity of the occupancy of the property,” he said.
The judge further said that Faisal should deposit his two recent passport photographs, American and Nigerian international passports with the chief registrar of the court
Faisal, alongside his father, was arraigned, on October 25, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.
However, he pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
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Faisal had prayed the court, in his application, to admit him to bail on liberal terms.
He argued that under Section 36(5) of 1999 Constitution (as amended), he was still presumed innocent until proven contrary in the law court.
Faisal, who told the court that he had never been convicted before any court before, said the offences with which he was charged with were bailable and appealed to the court to grant his request being a final year student of Canadian University in Dubai to enable him to complete his studies.
Maina’s son told the court that since the day he had been in the police custody, he had been suffering from acute depression.
However, the EFCC’s counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, had told the court that he relied on the counter-affidavit and further counter-affidavit in opposing the bail.
Abubakar argued that if granted the bail, Faisal might jump bail.
Justice Abang, in his ruling, noted that Faisal was just 20 years old and a student was still presumed innocent until proven contrary.
“No matter how seemingly great an alleged offence committed by a person might look, he is still presumed innocent until the contrary is proven,” the judge stated.
Faisal’s lawyer at the Thursday’s proceeding, Esther Uzoma, however, appealed to Justice Abang shortly after the ruling to grant Faisal’s request to be transferred to Kuje Correctional Service Centre.
The judge had, on October 25, ordered the EFCC to keep Faisal in police custody at Police Tactical Squad, Asokoro, based on the investigation on allegation of possession of firearms and resistance to arrest.
Justice Abang, therefore, ordered the prosecution counsel to confirm if the police had concluded their investigations on Faisal and report back to the court.
The judge then adjourned till November 27 for continuation of trial.
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