Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power under the Buhari administration, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years in prison for stealing public funds totaling approximately N33.8 billion.
Court Delivers Judgment
Delivering judgment on Monday in a case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the court convicted and sentenced Mamman on all 12 counts of fraud and money laundering charges preferred against him by the anti-graft agency.
Specifically, the court handed him seven years each on 10 counts of the charge, while on counts four and five, he was sentenced to three years and two years, respectively.
Consecutive Sentences
Justice Omotosho ruled that the sentences should run consecutively without the option of a fine, except for count four, where he allowed the payment of a N10 million fine as an alternative.
Furthermore, the court ordered the forfeiture of various foreign currencies recovered from the convict, as well as four choice properties in Abuja traced to him.
Background of the Case
It will be recalled that the court had on May 7 convicted the former minister in absentia. Justice Omotosho stated that he was satisfied that the EFCC had successfully established the former minister's culpability beyond reasonable doubt.
He convicted Mamman on all grounds of the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024. 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.
Breach of Trust
Mamman was also found guilty of criminal breach of trust concerning 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.
