Nigeria’s Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Okon Abang has found the former chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina guilty of money laundering.
Abang held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) produced essential evidence through witnesses called, to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Maina is guilty of money laundering in the sum of N171,099,000.
It was also noted that Mr. Maina called only one witness to his defense when he had the opportunity to call as many as he could.
The court held that Mr. Maina stole over N2 billion belonging to Pensioners, “most of whom have died without reaping the fruits of their labour.
“I find the defendant (Mr. Maina) guilty and convicted in count 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 and 10,” Mr Abang held.
Justice Abang also found him guilty of concealing his true identity as signatory to accounts opened in UBA and Fidelity Bank by using the identity of his family members without their knowledge.
These accounts were said to have cash deposits of N300 million, N500 million and N1.5 billion.
Justice Abang subsequently sentenced Mr. Maina to 8 years imprisonment when they all run concurrently.