Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Federal High Court in Abuja , on Tuesday, rejected the request by a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team , Abdulrasheed Maina , for an adjournment to prepare for his defence.
Justice Okon Abang ruled that the request was a ploy to waste the judicial time of the court .
The judge had earlier on December 4, 2020, adjourned the N 2bn money laundering case till Tuesday based on a request by Maina ’ s new lawyer , Mr Adaji Abel , who pleaded that he needed more time to enable him to prepare for the case .
The judge, before adjourning the matter on December 4 proceedings till Tuesday, ordered Maina to be remanded in the correctional centre .
The judge made the remand order after the defendant, who was said to have jumped bail and fled to Niger Republic , was extradited to Nigeria and returned to the court that day .
At the Tuesday sitting , the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’ s prosecuting counsel , Mr Farouk Abdullah , was about to invite the ninth prosecuting counsel , Rouqquaya Ibrahim , to continue her testimony when the defence lawyer raised an objection.
He said the defence had applied for the court ’ s record of previous proceedings via a letter sent to the court ’ s registry but had yet to be given by the court registry.
He said the records were needed by the defence to continue with the case .
The prosecuting counsel , Abdullah, opposed the application for adjournment , saying Maina had been given the opportunity to defend himself but failed to utilise it.
Ruling , Justice Abang noted that Maina had not been appearing in court since the matter resumed on September 29, until when he was returned to court on December 4 after he was arrested based on the arrest warrant issued by the court .
The judge said Maina ’ s right to a fair hearing was not breached as he had on his own jumped bail, and the trial had continued in his absence before he was arrested and brought back to court .
Justice Abang added that Maina ’ s former counsel was expected to have handed over the records at his disposal to the new counsel , who newly took over the defence of the defendant.
Dismissing the defence’ s request for an adjournment , the judge ordered the prosecution witness to continue her evidence – in-chief
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