No new bail, you are a proven flight risk, Justice Abang tells Maina
By Peter Usman/:
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has rejested fresh bail request by the Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Taskforce Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Abang, while delivering a ruling, held that Maina’s application for bail lacked merit.
The judge stated that Maina was not only a flight risk, but a proven risk, having fled to the Republic of Niger and Chad in violation of the court order.
“Maina has disappointed the court,” he ruled.
Justice Abang said, though it was at the court’s discretion to grant bail, the ex-pension reformed boss did not deserve a bail after jumping the first one.
The judge said that Maina did not place sufficient materials before the court to convince the court that he deserves the second bail.
He said the medical report brought from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital showed that Maina was not under any medical emergency.
Justice Abang, who refused to grant Maina’s application for an order directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to release his confiscated property, including a BMW Car, also dismissed his request for an order to set aside the November 18 and December 4, 2020 orders.
The court on November 18, 2020, ordered the trial of Maina in absentia after he jumped bail.
Also on December 4, 2020, the court ordered Maina to be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing and final determination of his matter.
Maina, who jumped bail last year and fled to the Republic of Niger before his rearrest, had on December 24, 2020, applied for another bail.
Maina, through his lawyer, Anayo Adibe, on January 20, approached Justice Abang in a motion on notice.
He argued that the application became necessary over his worsening health condition.
In the motion, the ex-pension boss told the court that he had reasonable and responsible sureties who were willing to act as sureties if granted bail.
Debunking the argument that he had jumped bail, Maina said, he fled to the Republic of Niger to have a kneel surgery.
According to him, If the knee surgery had not been done, his leg would have been amputated.