Maina: Court Fixes Senator Ndume’s Bail Application For Thursday
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Thursday, November 26, 2020, for the hearing of the bail application filed by Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, who has been remanded in prison since Monday over his suretyship for Abdulrasheed Maina who is said to have jumped bail.
Maina, a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges of money laundering involving N2bn.
The trial Judge, Justice Okon Abang had on the eighteenth of November 2020, revoked the bail granted him, ordered his arrest, and directed that his trial will continue in absentia.
The judge also on Monday remanded Senator Ndume in prison until he produces Maina or pay the sum of N500m bail bond to the Federation Account.
Senator Ndume, through his lawyer, Marcel Oru, had on Tuesday filed an appeal against the remand order at the Court of Appeal, along with an application for the bail of the defendant filed before Justice Abang.
The judge, in the course of the trial in the absence of Mister Maina, on Wednesday, acknowledged the bail application filed by Senator Ndume’s lawyer.
He said the bail application was brought to his attention at about 8.58am today, and he immediately directed that the matter be fixed for hearing on Thursday.
He also said he had directed that hearing notice for the Thursday’s proceedings be issued and served on the parties.
Although, Senator Ndume’s lawyer was not present in court, EFCC’s counsel, Mohammed Abubakar confirmed that he has been served with the hearing notice.
