A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the request by Adeola Adedipe, a defence lawyer in the trial of former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abulrashed Maina, to be allowed to withdraw from the case.
Adedipe had, until recently, represented Maina’s company -Common Input Limited – charged as the second defendant in the money laundering trial of the PRTT Chairman.
On Thursday, the lawyer moved the application for leave to withdraw, which he filed on November 25, 2020, which Justice Okon Abang granted in a brief ruling.
“Counsel, having filed an application in line with Section 349(7) of ACJA 2015 to withdraw his legal representation for the second defendant, the application is hereby granted,” the judge said.
Although Adedipe’s application was devoid of any reason for his action, it was learnt the lawyer elected to withdraw because the defendant did not perfect his brief.
Meanwhile the trial continued on Thursday in the absence of the defendants and their lawyers, with the court entertaining evidence from a witness of the prosecution, Ruqayya Ibrahim.
The decision by the court to allow the continuation of the trial was in line with its earlier ruling, allowing the trial to be conducted in the absence of Maina, who the court found to have jumped bail.
Justice Abang adjourned till December 4 for continuation of trial.
The Nation
