Maina’s ill health stalls trial – TheNigerialawyer

The trial of the former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team
(PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, before the Federal High Court in Abuja,
was on Tuesday stalled due to his ill health.

Recall that Mr Maina had pleaded not guilty to the 12-count
charge of N100 billion pension fraud brought against him.

He is being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, on a
12-count charge bordering on money laundering, operating fictitious
accounts and other fraudulent activities.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, officers of the Nigeria
correctional facility approached the court with an enveloped letter
containing a medical report issued by a doctor with the facility,
Idowu Ajayi.

The judge, Okon Abang, after reading the content of the letter
asked the prosecutor and defendants counsel if they are aware of Mr
Maina’s ill health.

Their answer was negative.

Following this, Mr Maina’s counsel asked the court for a week
adjournment to enable his client to get better.

The prosecutor, Mohammed Abubakar, then asked the court for an
order directing the deputy comptroller of Nigeria correctional
facility in charge of medicals to personally examine the defendant
to ascertain his true state of health.

In a short ruling, Mr Abang held that a medical report cannot
act as an order to stay proceedings.

He noted that the doctor who claimed to have examined the
defendant did not include a time the defendant was supposed to have
recovered.

The court, therefore, ordered the deputy comptroller of the
Nigeria correctional facility in charge of medicals and welfare to
examine the defendant.

The court adjourned to Bovember 7 for continuation of trial.