The trial of former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina resumed today, with him defending charges of money laundering, operating fictitious accounts and other fraudulent activities.
Last week, his younger sister, Fatima Abdullahi, appeared before the court and distanced herself from accounts said to have been opened by Maina using her name.
Mrs Fatima, a civil servant based in Kaduna, told the court that she and Maina shared the same parents while giving evidence behind a screen where her face was only seen by the judge.
She told the court that she has never heard of a company called ‘Common Input and Investment Nigeria Limited’ and that it was the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that told her of a company account registered in her name where huge sums of money have been withdrawn.
The witness also denied knowledge of shares bought in her name in the companies.
At the resumed trial on Monday, Mrs. Abdullahi told the court that she gave four statements to the EFCC; one in Kaduna where she was initially arrested and three at the Abuja office of the anti-graft agency.
When asked by the prosecution counsel, how many accounts she owned, the witness said five accounts, and that all are linked to her BVN.
Under cross-examination, the witness also said she earns an average of N250,000.00 monthly. While also stating that she does not know what her husband earns when probed further.
She confirmed that her sons, Bashir, and Samila went to a Turkish university in Turkey, but however, she told the court that she is not aware of how much school fees they pay.
The prosecution counsel insisted that the school fees were in the range of N3 million per semester to which she said she is not aware of.
Mrs. Abdullahi confirmed that her third son, Salim is currently schooling at a Canadian University in Dubai, but denied any knowledge that the current school fees is of N3.3 million equivalent.
She also debunked the claim that her son, Salim lives in accommodation of about N700,000 per month, insisting that he lives with her brother in Dubai.
When asked what year her first son graduated, the witness said in 2013; she changed it to 2016 for her first two sons Basir and Sadiq.
She also told the court that the property she lives in, in Kaduna belongs to her husband, but admitted to owning a five-bedroom apartment in Gwarimpa, and not owning any property near the railway in Kaduna state.
Mr Maina’s sister also said that the three properties are not worth a combined 500 million naira. but she stated that the property in Gwarimpa was acquired about five years ago and she is not sure of the value.
The witness, however, declined to say where she works, because her office asks her not to do so.
She also insisted that she knows nothing about Common Input Properties Limited, a company linked to Mr. Maina.
When told that two accounts with a commercial bank belonging to the company are linked with her BVN, she insisted not being aware of it.
She was then asked to read her statement to the EFCC, which she did, quoting a particular BVN number. When asked if the number belongs to her, she said yes.
When asked by the prosecution counsel, if it’s her evidence before the court that she did not give Mr Maina her BVN number, the witness said yes.
Mrs Abdullahi also stated as evidence, that her brother, Mr Maina never gave her any incorporation documents and she knows his only job is in the civil service.
The prosecution counsel asked if she ever told the court that she was asked to bring her ID card and BVN, the witness said no.
She was then told to read a portion of her statement to the EFCC, which she read: “I was told to bring my ID card and BVN number; when I got to the bank I was told by a bank officer to bring my ID card and BVN which I did innocently.”
Probing further, she was asked if, in her statement, she told the EFCC that she tried to verify the name of the account for which her ID card and BVN were requested, the witness said yes, but did not verify the name of the account.
She then changed her answer that she did not verify the name of the account or the owners.
However, she told the EFCC that the purpose for the request of her ID card and BVN was not to change the signatory of the account because she is not a signatory to the account.
When asked if Yarinye Nigeria limited is owned by her, the witness said yes.
The prosecution also asked if as a civil servant her office is in the know that she is running a business, the witness said she only opened an account but is not running a business.
Meanwhile, Maina’s son, Faisal, who is also facing trial for alleged money laundering, and operation of an illegal account has been moved from the EFCC custody to Kuje prison based on the request by his lawyer.
The court had earlier granted him bail in the sum of N60 million.
