The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Friday upheld the conviction of the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, for money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) first arraigned Maina on a 12-count charge of money laundering charge in 2019.
He was granted bail and fled the country the same year.
Maina was arrested by security agencies and re-arraigned on an amended three-count charge of money laundering and false declaration of assets.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 9, 2021 convicted the ex-pension task team chief on the charges and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment.
The court in November last year rejected Maina’s application for post-conviction bail.
At Friday’s proceeding, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismisses the convict’s appeal for lack of merit.
Justice Elfreda Williams-Daudu, who read the lead judgment, held that the EFCC proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against the ex-pension chief.
He added that the appeal court has found no reason to set aside the judgment of the lower court.
