Pat Stevens/
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has sentenced Faisal, son of the Chairman, defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, to 24 years imprisonment.
Justice Okon Abang, in his judgment, held that Faisal, who is on the run and was sentenced in absentia, was guilty of all the three-count charge levelled against him.
Faisal got a five-year-jail term for count one bordering on money laundering offence, another five five years for count three which bordered on asset declaration and 14 years imprisonment on count two. The prison terms would run concurrently.
Justice Abang had on July 16, fixed the matter for judgment after the then counsel to Economic and Financial Cimes Commission (EFCC), Mohammed Abubakar, adopted the commission’s final written address and urged the court to convict Faisal in all the three counts levelled against him.
Faisal’s counsel, A. A . Onoja, who did not file any final written address, had sought for an adjournment on the grounds that he was not briefed on the development in the case.
The EFCC lawyer, however, opposed his plea for an adjournment, arguing that on March 17 when the case was adjourned, Anayo Adibe, who appeared for Faisal, did not apply to file any written address, even after the ruling was delivered, saying “four months since that day, the defence has not done anything”.
The judge, who dismissed the application for adjournment, held that the request was made in bad faith.
Faisal, who is being prosecuted along his father, Maina, is standing a separate trial on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The defendant, who was arraigned by the EFCC on October 25, 2019, was admitted to bail, on November 26, 2019, in the sum of N60 million with a surety in the like sum who must be a member of House of Representatives.
However, Faisal jumped bail around September 2020 and stopped attending his trial.
The judge, on November 25, 2020, summoned the lawmaker, Rep Sani Dan-Galadima, representing Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, who stood as surety for Faisal, for disregarding court order to produce the defendant in court after he was granted bail.
Abang then revoked the bail granted Faisal, ordered his arrest and directed that his trial should proceed in absentia.
The judge also ordered the surety to forfeit the property which he used as a bail bond to the Federal Government, having failed to produce Faisal.
0