27th November, 2019
A prosecution witness, Abdulahi Bashir, a branch manager with one of the old generation banks, told a Federal High Court how Abdulrasheed Maina and his son, Faisal made huge withdrawals from their accounts.
Bashir said he considered the withdrawals unusual.
He was giving testimony at the resumed trial of the Mainas in Abuja.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Esther Uzonna, Bashir presented documents indicating that Faisal on June 13, 2019 withdrew N58,111,585.02k.
The judge adjourned Faisal’s trial until November 29, 2019 for continuation of the cross-examination.
The trial of Abdulrasheed Maina followed immediately with Justice Abang refusing an application for adjournment of his trial on health grounds.
The trial judge turned down the application on the ground that it was defective as it did not follow due legal procedure.
Under cross-examination, prosecution witness, Bashir disclosed that a cash withdrawal was made in Maina’s account on February 8, 2015, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates through an ATM to the tune of $323,396. (Three Hundred and Twenty-three Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety-six Dollars. This was captured in Exhibit B2, page three.
He also revealed that on February 11, 2015 there was another ATM withdrawal carried out in Dubai to the tune of N183, 563,737.92K, about $500,000, making a total of $823,396 withdrawn in Dubai.
While disclosing that several individuals made deposits into Maina’s account, he said the chief among such people was one Alhaji Lawwali.
The witness further stated that though he was not a compliance officer of the bank, the deposits and withdrawals in Maina’s account, “were unusual.”
Justice Abang adjourned the matter also till November 29, 2019 for continuation of the cross-examination..
The EFCC is prosecuting Maina on a 12-count charge, bordering on operating fictitious bank accounts, fraud, money laundering and corruption to the tune of over N2 billion, while his son, faces a three-count charge, bordering on money laundering, corruption and failure to fully disclose his assets.