THE conviction and 8-year jail sentence of former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina has been upheld by an Abuja court.
Maina was convicted in November 2021 after he was found guilty of laundering about N2.1 billion. The verdict was based on a 12-count charge brought against him by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission – EFCC.
Maina was found guilty of using a bank account operated by his firm to launder funds and acquire landed properties in Abuja.
A three-member panel by the Appeal Court, Abuja, unanimously affirmed the judgement delivered by Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja Federal High Court.
In the lead judgement, Justice Elfreda Williams-Daudu affirmed the various interlocutory rulings delivered in the course of the trial at the Federal High Court, which Maina appealed against.
The judge, who resolved the two issues identified for determination against Maina, held that the appellant was not denied fair hearing by the trial court and that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Trial Justice Okon Abang held that the sentence would run concurrently with effect from October 25, 2019 – the day the defendants were arraigned.
The court ordered Maina and his firm to forfeit about N2.1 billion that was traced to their bank accounts, as well as other monies to the Federal Government payable within 90 days.
