Senator Ali Ndume, Majority Leader of the Senate, reportedly submitted fake and forged documents to perfect the bail of former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, from prison.
KanyiDaily recalls that Maina was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja, for allegedly diverting public funds while he was the pension boss.
The former pension boss pleaded not guilty to the 12-count charge bordering on money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud filed against him by the EFCC.
He was initially admitted to bail in the sum of N1bn with two sureties in like sum. Both sureties must be serving Nigerian senators with no criminal cases before the court and must have fully developed landed property in Maitama or Asokoro district of Abuja.
After being unable to meet his bail term, the judge varied the bail for Maina to produce one senator, who must sign a bail bond in the sum of N500m and accompany Maina to court on every trial day.
Ndume, subsequently agreed to stand surety for Maina but rather than present original documents, he submitted forged documents to the court to bail the pension boss who was released on Monday evening, July 27, 2020.
SaharaReporters gathered that Ndume presented the property documents of a house owned by one Ahmed Lawal, deceiving the court that it was his,
According to Global Transparency and Anti-corruption Network, Ndume also presented a forged Irrevocable Power of Attorney on the property, adding that the property in question had previously been forfeited to the government in a separate case.
In a letter written to the EFCC, the anti-corruption network described as “monumental and gigantic fraud” the forging of documents by Ndume for the bail of Maina.
“We wish to bring to your notice that the documents submitted in relation to the property Plot No: 158 Asokoro District bring No 93 Yakubu Gowon Street, Asokoro (subject property) the collateral used for the bail of Abdulrasheed Maina in the above criminal charge are forged and/or fraudulently misrepresented.
“The subject property is the corporate office of Fiscal Responsibility Commission Abuja, a Federal Government agency.
“The subject property is No 93 Yakubu Gowon Street, Asokoro, a property covered by C of O No: 17dew-d743Z-6e31r-e6D2u-10 in the name of Lawal Ahmed, which is forfeited to the Federal Government and handed over to Fiscal Responsibility Commission Abuja, for use as their office and therefore does not in any way belong to Senator Ali Ndume, the bail surety to Abdulrasheed Maina. The presentation of the property by Sen. Ali Ndume as collateral for bail is a gigantic fraud.
“The so called Irrevocable Power of Attorney dated 14, February 2018 that purported to irrevocably appoint Senator Ali Ndume, as the attorney of Lawal Ahmed over the subject property is also a fraudulent document since the property is forfeited to the Federal Government.
“The representation that the so-called Irrevocable Power of Attorney dated 14th February 2018 between Lawal Ahmed and Sen. Ali Ndume is registered at Abuja Geographic Information Services (AGIS) is a fraudulent misrepresentation as no such Power of Attorney has ever been registered at AGIS.”
The group also revealed that the photograph of the property known as Manor Terrace was submitted and fraudulently misrepresented as being Plot 158 Asokoro District covered by the C of O and by the purported Power of Attorney, whereas, Plot 158 Asokoro District is numbered as No: 93 Yakubu Gowon Crescent Asokoro, situated four property blocks away from ECOWAS Secretariat.
The Global Transparency and Anti-corruption Network called for fresh charges to be instituted into the case of Maina and Ndume.
The group raised the alarm that with the presentation of forged documents, Maina could easily abscond the country and flee trial.
“With these monumental fraud and forgeries the court was misled into certifying that Abdulrasheed Maina had fulfilled his bail conditions which led to his release from prison, setting the stage for an imminent flight and disappearance of Maina and making a mockery of the judicial and prosecutorial systems of the nation and above all rewarding impunity and brigandage.
“The enormity and scale of the fraud perpetrated by Abdulrasheed Maina and his accomplices should necessarily lead to fresh criminal charges, apart from the above titled charge for which he is presently being prosecuted.”
KanyiDaily had reported how Maina was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at a hotel in Abuja after allegedly sneaking into the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
