BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
A lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, engaged by a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abulrasheed Maina, in his ongoing trial for money laundering, has filed a notice, indicating his intention to withdraw from further representing his client.
Adedipe is representing Maina’s company – Common Input Property and Investment Limited.
He apologised to the Federal High Court in Abuja, at the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, for being absent from proceedings during some of the recent adjournments.
He however said his brief had not been perfected, noting that he had not been paid by his client.
But Justice Okon Abang, who had ruled that Adedipe had abandoned proceedings by being absent in court, said the notice the lawyer claimed he had filed was not in the court’s file.
The case was adjourned till December 4 for the continuation of the trial.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had commenced Maina’s trial in absentia on Monday.
Justice Abang had, on Monday, ordered that the lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, be remanded in Kuje Correctional Center.
He gave the order, following Ndume’s inability to produce Maina, who is standing trial for alleged money laundering to the tune of N2bn, The Point had reported.
Maina last appeared in court on July 2, 2020, during his legal team’s cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness.
