The trial of a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, was stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
The trial on 12 counts of money laundering involving about N2bn was stalled because he and his surety, who is the serving Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, were absent.
The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, had ordered Maina to provide a serving senator as a surety for the bail granted him and the surety must be ready to accompany him to court for every hearing session.
He said Maina was absent from court because of a letter he received from a hospital for treatment.
He therefore requested for an adjournment of the case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s lawyer, Farouk Abdullah, noted that the matter was adjourned till Tuesday for cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness.
Justice Abang who expressed displeasure over the absence of the defendant and his surety adjourned till Wednesday.
The EFCC had last year instituted 12 counts of money laundering against Maina along with a firm, Common Input Properties & Investment Limited, which he was accused of using to launder about N2bn in pension funds.
Maina was accused of using fictitious names to open and operate various bank accounts into which he allegedly channeled the diverted funds.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
