A Federal High Court on Monday fixed January 26, 2021, for former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team Abdulrasheed Maina to open defence.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Mr Maina on a 12-count charge of fraud and money laundering.
Maina’s lawyer Anayo Adibe had earlier asked for an adjournment on the ground that he was unable to proceed with his no-case submission due to his inability to access the certified true copy of the court’s record of proceedings.
The application for adjournment was opposed by the prosecutor who insisted that it was only a ploy to stall the trial.
Justice Okon Abang, after listening to both parties, foreclosed the right of Maina’s counsel to present a no-case submission and ordered the defendant to open his defence on the next adjourned date of January 26 and 27, 2021.
Speaking after the court ruling, Mr Adibe told the news media that the legal team is ready to open defence.
“We are very ready to open our defence but it’s just that we have made an application for the opening of no-case submission to be made which has been refused and foreclosed. We are going to appeal that.
“However, we intend to continue our representation for the first defendant. Therefore, we are very ready to open our defence,” he said.
