An Abuja federal high court has granted the application filed by former chairman of the defunct pension reform task team, Abdulrasheed Maina, for further variation of his bail conditions.
Ruling on Maina’s application for bail variation the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang held that Maina must remain within the court jurisdiction and must obtain permission of the court before leaving the FCT if need be.
Justice Abang also insisted that the surety must be present in court at each sitting, a decision the defence counsel, Joe-Kyari Gadzama said was stringent.
However, the court rejected the request by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC asking it to revoke the bail granted to Maina on the ground that the allegations contained in the application before the court were not backed with facts.
The federal high court had in November 2019 admitted Maina to bail in the sum of one billion naira with two sureties who must be serving senators and must not have any record of criminal trial.
When Maina could not meet up with the bail conditions , he approached the court in January, 2020 for variation instead justice Abang ruled that the defendant should produce one serving senator, permanent secretary or a director in the federal civil service as surety.
Also Read: Pension Trial: Senator Ndume offers to stand as surety for Maina
The trial has been adjourned to 2nd July, 2020.
