The Appellate Court in Abuja has upheld the conviction of Faisal Maina, the son of Abdulrasheed Maina, for conspiracy and money laundering.
Recall that CEOAFRICA had reported that Maina, the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, is serving an eight-year jail term at Kuje Prison in Abuja, for pension fraud to the tune of N2 billion and his son has been named an accomplice.
A three-member panel of the appeal court, in a judgment today (Thursday), reduced the sentence given by the Federal High Court, Abuja, from 14 years to seven years on the grounds that Faisal is a first-time offender.
Justice Ugochukwu Anthony Ogakwu, in the judgment said the court held that Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, was right to have convicted Faisal.
“But as a first-time offender, the trial court ought not to have handed the convict the maximum punishment under the law,” Ogakwu added.
More details later…