UPDATE: Court orders Sen Ndume’s detention in prison over Maina’s absence to face trial

Troubles for the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, as the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered that he should be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center over his inability to produce the former Chairman of the defunct Presidential Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, in court to face his trial.

Ndume is standing as a surety to Maina, who is facing a 12-count charge, bothering on money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud. to a tune of about N2 billion.

Maina jumped the bail granted him by refusing to appear in court to face his trial since May that the court granted him bail.

Alternatively, the Court said Ndume, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army should remain in custody until he either produces Maina in court or sells off the N500 million worth of property located in the Asokoro District of Abuja, which he (Ndume) used as the guarantee for the N500 million bail bond and tenders the evidence of the payment of the proceeds of the sale into the Federal Government account.

Justice Abang said until all the above conditions are met, Senator Ndume should remain in detention.

The Judge had, on November 18, 2020, issued a warrant of arrest against Maina, who failed to show up in court on four consecutive times to face his trial in the fraud charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

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Justice Abang ordered security agents in the country to arrest Maina anywhere he is found and bring him before the court to face the consequences of his jumping the bail granted him by the court.

Before issuing the order for his arrest Justice Abang revoked the N500 million bail he granted Maina on the ground that the bail had been abused following his persistent absence in court.

The Judge, who also granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that Maina’s trial in the fraud charges is conducted in his absence, gave Maina’s surety, Senator Ali Ndume till November 23, 2020, to show cause why he should not forfeit to the federal government, the N500 million bail bond he endorsed for the bail of Maina.

Recall that the EFCC had, on October 25, 2019, charged Maina and his son, Faisal, before the court alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.

Maina pleaded not guilty to the 12-count charge and Justice Abang on January 28, varied his bail conditions, following his inability to meet the bail terms granted him in November last year.

Abang reduced Maina’s bail condition from N1 billion to N500 million with a surety in the like sum who must be a serving senator as opposed to the earlier order of producing two serving senators.

The judge ruled that the surety, who should not have any criminal case pending in any court, must have a landed property fully developed in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, Katampe or Central Business Districts of Abuja, with Certificate of Occupancy attached as evidence.

Abang also ruled that the senator though would always come to the court at every adjourned date, only needed to come and sign a court register that would be opened at the registry, among other terms.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE