Chrys
The court of appeal in Abuja has upheld the conviction and
eight-year sentence of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform
Task Team (PRTT), for laundering about
N2.1 billion.
In a judgment on Friday, a three-member panel of the court
unanimously affirmed the November 8, 2021 judgment given by Okon Abang, judge
of an Abuja federal high court.
In the lead judgment, Elfreda Williams-Daudu, justice of the
appellate court, held that the appellant was not denied a fair hearing by the
trial court and that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
On October 25, 2019, Maina was arraigned by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) — but he pleaded not guilty to a 12-count
charge of money laundering brought against him.
On November 8, 2021, Okon Abang, the trial judge, sentenced
Maina to eight years in prison.
The court ordered him and his firm, Common Input Property
and Investment Limited, to forfeit about N2.1 billion traced to their bank
accounts to the federal government, after which the company should be wound up.
Also, the court ordered that Maina’s properties at Life Camp
and Jabi districts of Abuja should be forfeited to the government.
