The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed December 8 for committal proceeding against Rep Sani Dan-Galadima over his inability to produce Faisal, son of Abdulrasheed Maina, in court to stand his trial.
Justice Okon Abang after taking arguments from counsel to parties in the case on Friday adjourned the matter at the instance of Dan-Galadima, who stood surety for Faisal.
Mohammed Sheriff, counsel to the lawmaker, who represents Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara, said in obedience to the court order of November 25, the surety had filed an affidavit to show cause why he should not forfeit the N60 million bail bond.
“We have filed an affidavit to show cause dated November 30 and filed the same day,” he said.
Sheriff, however, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, in response, served him with two processes today (Friday) in opposition to their request.
“We were served with two processes today (Friday); one exactly at 9 a.m. and the other at 9:55 a.m,” he said.
The lawyer prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him go through the response and file his reply in the interest of justice.
Responding, the anti-graft lawyer, Abubakar, admitted that two counter-affidavits were filed and served on Friday morning.
“The first one is dated and filed on December 3 and the second one is dated and filed on December 4,” he said.
Abubakar said he had no objection to the Sheriff’s application for an adjournment to allow him go through the processes.
When the judge asked what the parties’ applications were about, the EFCC lawyer informed the court that Dan-Galadima in his affidavit, prayed the court to give him time to sell the property with which he used for the suretyship to enable him generate the N60 million bail bond.
He said the lawmaker also claimed that he had always been in court for Faisal’s proceedings even when he jumped bail.
Justice Abang adjourned the matter at the instance of Dan-Galadima until December 8 for committal proceedings against the lawmaker, NAN reports.
Faisal is the son of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman, the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), who is facing separate charges of money laundering involving about N2 billion before the same court.
Faisal was arraigned, on October 25, by the EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The court had, on November 26, 2019, admitted Faisal to bail in the sum of N60 million with a surety in the like sum who must be a member of the House of Representatives.
The court held that the surety must have a landed property anywhere within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
