By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the conviction and eight-year sentence imposed on the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.
He is accused of laundering an amount totalling N2.1 billion ($4.5m)
A three-member panel of justices unanimously affirmed the judgement of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang which convicted and sentenced Maina on November 8, 2021.
In the lead judgement on Friday, 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.
Maina, in 2021, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of money laundering to the tune of N2.1billion.
However, a Federal High Court in Abuja, in November 2022, dismissed a suit filed by Maina’s, over his alleged ill health.
In a motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1729/2022, dated and filed on September 27, the convict asked the court for an interim order directing Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Interior, and Haliru Nababa, Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), to immediately take him to a reputable hospital for treatment.
Aregbesola and Nababa accused Maina of feigning illness to escape from lawful custody.
