Court jails ex-power minister for 75 yrs over N33.8bn fraud

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years in prison for stealing public funds totalling about ₦33.8 bill

The court, in the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, convicted and sentenced him on all 12 counts of fraud and money laundering charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Whereas he was handed seven years each on 10 counts of the charge, the court jailed him for three years and two years on counts four and five of the charge.

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

Furthermore, 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.

It will be 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.

He convicted him on all grounds of the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024.

Mamman served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The court found that he made a cash payment of $655,700 (equivalent to ₦200 million) for landed property in Abuja, without recourse to a financial institution.