Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday began the trial of a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, in his absence.
The last time Maina attended court was on July 2, 2020, during the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness by his legal team.
The runaway ex-pension reforms boss is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on N2bn money laundering charges.
But he has failed to attend subsequent proceedings since September 29, 2020, prompting the Justice Okon Abang, to declare him as having jumped bail in a ruling delivered on November 18, 2020.
Justice Okon, in the November 18 ruling, revoked the bail earlier granted him, ordered his arrest, and directed that his trial would proceed in his absence.
On Monday, Maina’s bail surety, Senator Alli Ndume, was remanded by the judge until he is able to produce the fleeing defendant in court or pay the N500m bail bond to the Federal Government.
Again, on Tuesday, Maina was absent at the resumed hearing in the case on.
No lawyer also represented him or his company charged along with him as his second defendant.
Following the request of the prosecuting counsel, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, the judge closed the right of Maina to continue cross-examining the sixth prosecution.
He also foreclosed the second defendant’s right to cross-examine the witness.
The seventh prosecuting witness, Ali Sani, also testified, with defendants and their lawyers unavailable to cross-examine him.
The judge, who also closed the defendants’ right to cross-examine the witness, also admitted an exhibit tendered by the prosecuting without any objection.
Justice Abang held that the defendants had the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses and oppose the admissibility of the exhibit tendered but failed to take advantage of it.
“They have themselves to blame,” the judge repeated each time he had to take a decision closing or foreclosing the defendants’ rights in the course of the trial.
As of the time of filing this report, the eighth prosecution witness had been invited to the witness box to testify.