N2.1Bn Fraud: Appeal Court Upholds Maina’s Eight-Year Sentence

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the eight-year jail term imposed on the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for money laundering to the tune of N2.1billion.

In a unanimous judgment today, Friday, May 5, 2023, a three-member panel of the court affirmed the November 8, 2021 judgment by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which convicted and sentenced him.

Justice Elfreda Williams-Daudu who delivered the lead judgment resolved the two issues identified for determination against Maina and held that he was not denied fair hearing by the trial court and that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

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It would be recalled that Justice Abang on November 8, 2021, found Maina guilty of money laundering, concealing his true identity as a signatory to accounts opened in two banks – UBA and Fidelity Bank – using the identity of his family members without their knowledge.

The accounts had cash deposits of N300million, N500million, and N1.5billion

Justice Abang also held that through Maina’s service as a civil servant, his salary and emoluments could not have amounted to the monies in the said accounts.