Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), has collapsed before a federal high court in Abuja where he is being tried on charges of money laundering.
Jomog News Nigeria reports that Maina slumped on Thursday few minutes into the trial shortly after the court resumed proceedings in the 12-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him and his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Limited.
Maina had on Wednesday after the EFCC closed its case with nine witnesses, secured permission of the court to enter a no-case-submission to the charges against him.
However, when the case was called on Thursday, Maina’s lawyer, Mr. Anayo Adibe, told the court that his client would not be able to proceed with his application.
Abide said he was unable to prepare the no-case-submission owing to the fact that he was not availed with records of proceedings of the court in the matter.
The defence lawyer was about to make further submission when his client, Maina, slumped beside the dock where the court permitted him to sit.
This stirred an uproar in the court as prison warders and some lawyers rushed to resuscitate him.
Owing to the development, the judge was forced to suspend the proceedings.
Maina was arraigned before Abang on October 25, 2019, by the EFCC alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.
Some lawyers and officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service quickly rushed to his aid, a development that forced trial Justice Abang to suspend sitting.
EFCC had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2019, alleged that Maina used a bank account that was operated by his firm and laundered funds to the tune of about N2billion, part of which he used to acquire landed properties in Abuja.
It told the court that the Defendant used fictitious names to open and operate various bank accounts, as well as recruited his relatives that were bankers to operate fake bank accounts through which illicit funds were channeled.
The Prosecution told the court that contrary to financial regulations, the banks, opened phony accounts for the Defendant, without conducting due diligence to ascertain the true identities of the owners.
However, the Defendants who were arraigned on October 25, 2019, pleaded not guilty to charge. The court to suspend sitting. As at the time of filing in this report, 10:30, Maina is still on the floor with medical officers from the court trying to revive him.
The former pension chief on Wednesday told the court that he had no case to answer shortly after the EFCC, through its counsel, Farouk Abdullah, closed its case with the ninth prosecution witness.
Maina was extradited to Nigeria after his arrest in Niger Republic last Monday. He had jumped bail, leading to the arrest of Ali Ndume, a serving senator, who stood as his surety.
