Nigerian senator, Ali Ndume, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday, that he is unable to find Abdulrasheed Maina, an ex-pension chair for whom he is acting as surety.
Mr Maina who is accused of diverting N100 billion of pension funds and alleged money laundering, is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 12-count charge, of operating fictitious accounts and carrying out fraudulent activities.
The former pension chief, who was in hiding for almost two years, was arrested by the State Security Service last year.
The SSS handed over Mr Maina, who headed the pension reform task team, to the EFCC, which had declared him wanted for over a year.
When Mr Ndume was asked of the whereabouts of Mr Maina, whom the judge said had failed to appear in court for the third time within one week,” the senator responded: “My lord, I must confess, I do not know”.
Justice Okon Abang, the trial judge, at the beginning of the trial, had ordered Mr Maina to provide a current and serving senator as surety in exchage for bail.
The senator urged the court to grant him more time to look for the defendant. The defence lawyer, Farouk Oronsaye, also urged the court to adjourn the case.
An angry judge told Mr Ndume he is not pleased with the conduct of the suspect, adding that he (Ndume) “should have been aware of the many risks involved in standing as surety.”
The judge then adjourned the case till October 5 adding that “both the surety and defendant must be present in court that day.”