x

Court sentences Maina’s son, Faisal, to 14 years imprisonment

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, October 7, convicted and sentenced the son of former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, Faisal, to 14 years imprisonment over the three-count money laundering charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

EFCC had dragged Faisal before the court on grounds that sometime between 2013 and 2019, he received the sum of N58.11million, being proceeds of a corrupt act by his father. He was also accused of failing to properly declare his assets before the EFCC. Faisal had reportedly pulled a gun to challenge operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS that arrested his father at a hotel in Abuja on September 30, 2019.

Delivering judgment on the case filed against Faisal, the judge held that the anti-graft agency successfully established that Faisal, operated a fictitious bank account with the United Bank for Africa, UBA, through which his father, Maina, laundered the sum of N58.1million.

The court noted that the said fund which was deposited into the account that was operated in the name of Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, was sequentially withdrawn by the Defendant and his father, between October 2013 and June 2019. Justice Abang said he was satisfied that the EFCC proved all the essential ingredients of the charge, stressing that Defendant reasonably ought to have known that inflows into the bank account formed proceeds of an unlawful act of corruption by his father.

While the court sentenced Defendant to 5 years in count 1 and 3 of the charge, he was sentenced to 14 years on count 2 of the charge. The court held that the charge would run concurrently, starting from today.

The court ordered that the 21-year-old Faisal, who had since June 24, 2020, failed to appear for his trial, should be arrested anywhere he is found in Nigeria and remanded in any Correctional Service Center to serve his jail term immediately.

It further held that in the event that the Defendant traced to anywhere outside the country, the Federal Government, “shall legally or lawfully commence extradition proceeds to bring him into the country to serve the jail term”. The court ordered that the company through which the fund was laundered, Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, be wound up, with funds in it forfeited to the government.

Hot this week

Editors Urge Government To Create Safe, Enabling Environment For Journalists

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalist As...

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari orders probe of Isa Funtua, AMCON over keystone and Etisalat

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party,...

6 Signs your boyfriend thinks you are ugly -Take note of No. 2

They say there are three kinds of people; the...

2023: South-East, Middle Belt Forum Endorses Peter Obi

The South-East and Middle Belt Forum has endorsed the...

Hassan Shado of APC Wins Okura Constituency By-Election in Kogi

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)...

Sokoto Government to Remodel Sheikh Danfodio Jumu’at Mosque

By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto The Sokoto State Executive Council has...

Low Voter Turnout, Fear of Violence Mar Kogi By-Election

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja The by-election in Okura State Constituency...

Kaduna: PDP Agent Arrested With ₦30m Cash for Vote-Buying – DSS

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna The Department of State Services (DSS)...

Bayelsa Government Pledges Completion of Major Infrastructure Projects Before Tenure Ends

By Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa The Bayelsa State Government has restated...

Vote Buying, Intimidation Allegations Reported in Kaduna Re-Run Polls

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna Widespread allegations of vote buying and...

NBA Sokoto Honors Senator Wamakko With Outstanding Leadership Award

By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Sokoto...

Gen. Shipi Quoted Out of Context, Says Plateau Group

By Israel Adamu, Jos The Plateau Citizens Peace and Unity...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img