Report fingers Malami in Maina’s conspiracy

A report has fingered the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in the controversy surrounding the reinstatement and promotion of a former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Malami in the report was alleged to have twisted a 2013 high court judgment to ensure that the disgraced Maina, accused of embezzling billions of pension funds in 2013, was recalled and promoted by the Federal Civil Service Commission.

Contrary to the claim by Malami that a court judgement gave Maina a clean-bill-of-health, National Daily gathered that the court merely quashed a warrant of arrest that was issued against the former pension boss by the Nigerian Senate.

The judgment which was delivered on March 27, 2013, by Justice Adamu Bello of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court (now retired), only faulted the process that led to the issuance of the warrant of arrest against Maina.

The court however did not clear Maina of allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that he embezzled pension fund to the tune of N2billion.

The court, in its judgment, equally did not insulate Maina from EFCC’s investigations. Rather, Justice Bello advised Maina to surrender himself to the authorities investigating the alleged N2 billion fraud.

Malami had in a letter with Ref. No. HAGF/FCSC/2017/Vol. 1/3, directed the Federal Civil Service Commission to give consequential effect to a judgment he said voided the process that led to Maina’s dismissal from service.

ALSO SEE: NPA: Malami delaying advice on $20m bribe saga

On the strength of the letter, the FCSC, at the end of a meeting it held on June 14, 2017, requested the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, OHCSF, vide a letter marked FC.4029/82/Vol. III/160, and dated June 21, to advise the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior to consider the AGF’s letter and make appropriate recommendations regarding Maina’s case.

In line with the directive, the Ministry of Interior, at its Senior Staff Committee meeting held on June 22, placed reliance on the AGF’s letter and recommended that Maina be reinstated into the Service as Deputy Director on Salary Grade Level 16.

Consequently, the FCSC, on August 16, approved the reinstatement of Maina with effect from February 21, 2013 (being the date he was earlier dismissed from Service

In his letter requesting that Maina be recalled to Service, the AGF, maintained that the “legal import” of the high court judgment was that the ex-pension boss had no case to answer.

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The embattled ex-chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, who has been accused of complicity in a N2bn fraud, has gone into hiding.

The fugitive, who is still on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the alleged offence, went into hiding soon after news that the anti-graft agency had launched a manhunt for him became public.