THE
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday declared the
former Pension Reform Task Team’s Chairman, Mr. Abdulrsheed Maina,
wanted.
A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, said Maina is wanted for his alleged role in the fraudulent
biometric
contracts through which he and former Head of Service Steve
Oronsaye and two others allegedly mismanaged over N2 billion of pension
funds.
The statement said: “Maina was on July 21, 2015 charged alongside
Oronsaye , Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick HamiltonbGlobal Services Limited
before a Federal High Court on a 24-count charge bordering on
procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.
“While Oronsaye and two others were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, Maina had been at large.
“However on July 21 when the court heard the bail applications of the
accused persons, Maina through his counsel, Esther Uzoma, told the
court that he was not at large, claiming that the EFCC had never invited
him.
“Consequently, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, pleaded with the
court to prevail on the accused’s counsel to produce Maina in court as
the commission had no clues as to his whereabouts.
“The court granted Rotimi’s prayers. Yet Maina continued to shun
court proceedings, leaving the commission with no option than to declare
him wanted.
“Indeed, since the commission filed charges against Maina, more
damning evidence have emerged on how the ebullient former Pension Task
Team boss siphoned pension funds using secret accounts in a new
generation bank in Abuja.
“Two officers of the bank were quizzed two weeks ago. Commission’s
sources said they made damning revelations of several opaque
transactions through which Maina allegedly lined his pockets at the
expense of thousands of hapless pensioners.”
The commission implored anyone with information on Maina’s
whereabouts to contact any of its offices in Lagos, Abuja, Gombe, Kano,
Port Harcourt and Enugu or report at the nearest police station.
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