Former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has opened his defense in a case of alleged money laundering to the tune of N2billion preferred against him by the EFCC.

Galaxy's Godfrey Eshiemoghie reports that Maina opened his defense by presenting a witness, one Ngozika Ihuoma, a consultant whose firm between 2010 and 2011 carried out the biometric verification of pensioners in the country.

The witness told the court that prior to the biometric capture, the sum of N1.5billion was paid monthly as police pension.

But upon completion of the exercise, the Pension payments dropped to N466million, the said disbursements signed by then Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

The witnessed informed the court that the PRTT headed by Maina had by November 2011 recovered the sum of N181billion in pension fund surplus subsequently warehoused at the Central Bank of Nigeria by the EFCC.

Hearing on the case was thereafter adjourned and scheduled to continue Tuesday 2nd of March to conclude with the first defendant witness.

Maina and a firm, Common Input Ltd are standing trial on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering.