A Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned Rep Sani Umar Dan-Galadima to appear over the trial of Faisal, son of former chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team (PPRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, in alleged N2 billion pension funds fraud.
Justice Okon Abang on Tuesday ruled that Representative Dan-Galadima must appear on Wednesday 25th November or a warrant of arrest will be issued against him.
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The judge further granted an application by the EFCC to issue a bench warrant against Maina’s son and to try him in absentia under the provisions of sections 184 of the Administration Criminal Justice Administration (ACJA) and 354(2) of the same Act.
“It is sufficient that the court deems it fit that the trial shall continue in the absence of the defendants. Therefore, the application of the prosecution succeeds,” he said.
Earlier, the EFCC had asked the court to order Representative Dan-Galadima (APC, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State), who stood as a surety for Faisal, to appear and show cause or forfeit the sum of N60m in bail bond to the Federal Government.
Counsel to the EFCC, M.S. Abubakar informed the court that neither Faisal nor the surety was present in court contrary to the terms of the bail.
Faisal was arraigned alongside his father on October 25, 2019 on separate three-count charges bordering on money laundering and concealment of proceeds of unlawful act.
He was alleged to have between October 2013 and June 2019 opened an anonymous account with the UBA as Alhaji Faisal Abdullahi Farma II while concealing his true identity.
Meanwhile, the court on Tuesday foreclosed Maina’s examination of the eight prosecution witness who testified in his absence.
The judge ruled that since the lawyers to Maina were absent from court without any explanation, they have waived their right to cross examine the witness to challenge the documents admitted by the court.
The court had on Monday jailed Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), who stood as surety for Maina following the ex-pension boss’s absence from court on a bail bond of N500m.
