THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday continued the trial of a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina after jumping bail.

Maina, who is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on N2 billion money laundering charges, after attending his last court session on July 2, during the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness by his legal team.

He failed to attend subsequent proceedings since September 29, 2020, prompting the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, to adjudge him as having jumped bail in a ruling delivered on November 18.

In his ruling, Justice Abang revoked the bail earlier granted him, ordered his arrest, and directed that his trial would proceed in his absence.

On Monday, the judge also ordered the remand of Maina’s bail surety, Senator Ali Ndume, until he is able to produce the fleeing defendant in court or pay the N500 million bail bond to the Federal Government.

Maina was also absent at the resumed hearing in the case on Tuesday.

There was no lawyer to represent him or his company charged along with him as his second defendant.

Following the request of the prosecuting counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, the judge closed the right of Maina to continue cross-examining the sixth prosecution.

He also dispossessed the second defendant’s right to cross-examine the witness.

The seventh prosecuting witness, Ali Sani, also testified, with defendants and their lawyers unavailable to cross-examine him.

The judge, who also closed the defendants’ right to cross-examine the witness, also admitted an exhibit tendered by the prosecuting without any objection.

Justice Abang held that the defendants had the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses and oppose the admissibility of the exhibit tender but failed to take advantage of it.

“They have themselves to blame,” the judge repeated each time he had to take a decision closing or foreclosing the defendants’ rights in the course of the trial.