N33.8bn fraud: Court jails ex-Power Minister, Mamman 75 years

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Orders seizure of his property, refund of N22bn project funds

 A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, sentenced a former Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mamman, to 75 years in prison for stealing public funds totalling about N33.8 billion.

Trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, convicted and sentenced him on all the 12-count fraud and money laundering charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Mamman was handed seven years each on 10 counts of the charge, three years and two years on counts four and five of the charge. 

Justice Omotosho held that the sentence should run consecutively without option of fine except on count four, which he allowed the payment of N10 million fine. 

The court ordered the forfeiture of various foreign currencies that were recovered from the convict, as well as four choice property in Abuja that were traced to him. 

The court directed the convict to pay back to the national treasury the sum of N22 billion meant for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.

Some of the property forfeited to the Federal Government include a four-bedroom duplex at Kado District, Abuja; two semi-detached houses and another building located at Wuse District, Abuja.

Foreign currencies recovered from the convict, which the court directed should also be forfeited to the government are $13,890; €19,950; £10,000; 42,390 Emirates dirhams; 35,000 South African rands; 50,060. 

Recalled that the court had on May 7, convicted the former minister in absentia.

Justice Omotosho said he was satisfied that the anti-graft agency had successfully established the former minister’s culpability beyond reasonable doubt.

Mamman, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, was found complicit in the illegal diversion of public funds totalling 

The court found that he made a cash payment of $655,700 (equivalent to N200 million) for landed property in Abuja, without recourse to a financial institution.

He was also found guilty of criminal breach of trust in relation to funds released by the federal government for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.

The court noted that most of the funds were siphoned through Bureau de Change operators (BDCs), who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed it over to the defendant.