The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted a former Minister of Power, Mr Saleh Mamman, on 12 counts of fraud and money laundering.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho, who said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, successfully proved its case against the former minister beyond reasonable doubt.
The court convicted Mamman on all counts in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024.
Mamman, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was found guilty of illegally diverting public funds amounting to about ₦33.8 billion.
The court held that he made a cash payment of 655,700 dollars, equivalent to about N200 million, for landed property in Abuja without using a financial institution.
He was also found guilty of criminal breach of trust involving funds released by the Federal Government for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
Justice Omotosho noted that most of the funds were diverted through Bureau de Change operators, who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed it over to the defendant.
“The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming as against the scanty and almost absent defence of the defendant.“The defendant did not offer any credible evidence to rebut the prosecution’s case,” the judge said.
The trial judge criticised Mamman for failing to leave a positive legacy while in office.
“Rather than creating a legacy to tackle the epileptic power supply in the country, the defendant was living large at the expense of ordinary citizens.“Little wonder that Nigerians have remained in darkness till today,” the judge added.
Mamman was absent in court when the judgment was delivered.
As a result, the court deferred his sentencing, while the EFCC applied for a warrant of arrest against him.
A lawyer, Mr Mohammed Ahmed, who appeared for the defendant, told the court that Mamman’s whereabouts had been unknown since the notice of judgment was issued on Tuesday.
He said the defendant’s personal assistant later claimed that Mamman was sick.
However, efforts by the defence to get the court to adjourn the judgment were unsuccessful.
EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to proceed with the judgment.
“My Lord should go ahead. If the judgment is in his favour, we know what to do. If it is against him, we also know what to do,” he said.
Mamman was arrested in 2021, about four months after he was removed from office by former President Buhari.
During the trial, the EFCC called 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits.
The commission alleged that Mamman conspired with officials of the Ministry of Power to divert about N22 billion meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power projects.
The EFCC said investigations showed that the diverted funds were used to acquire valuable assets within and outside Nigeria.