Maina loses appeal against EFCC as court upholds eight-year sentence for N2.1bn fraud

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.