•By John Austin Unachukwu
A Prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ex-Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, for conspiracy and Money laundering offences had denied any knowledge of the defendant Mr. Saleh Mamman during and after his tenure as Minister of Power. He fingered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for collecting money from him after the man left office as Minister.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had dragged Saleh Mamman to Federal High Court, Abuja, on 12 Count with Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024, alleging that he Laundered more than N33bn while in office.
“ Count one of the amended Charge reads: “That you, Saleh Mamman (Male), sometime in 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, whilst you were the Minister of Power conspired with other officials of your Ministry and some private companies to indirectly convert the total sum of =N=33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, and Seventy-Three Kobo) through various private companies which sums you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit: criminal breach of trust in relation to the funds released for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects by the Federal Government of Nigeria; and you thereby commit an offence contrary to Sections 18(a), 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended), and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
COUNT TWO reads:“That you, Sale Mamman (Male), sometime in December 2019, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, conspired with SAMSON BITRUS to make a cash payment of US$655,700:00 (Six Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand and Seven Hundred United States Dollars) to Mohiba Investment Ltd (acting through Mohammed Asheik Jidda), without going through a financial institution, and that you thereby commit an offence contrary to Sections 1and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended), and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
COUNT 12: “That you Saleh Mamman (Male), between the months of January and December 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Court, indirectly took possession of the aggregate sum of =N=18,750,000:00 (Eighteen Million and Seven-Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), which sum you reasonably ought to know formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust in relation to the funds released for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects by the Federal Government of Nigeria; and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as Amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act. 
Fielding questions from the Defence Counsel Mr. Femi Atteh SAN, under Cross Examination, Prosecution Witness (PW9), Mr. Abdullahi Suleiman recalled how he collected money from that Ministry of Power at different times and transferred same to Minister Saleh Mamman. When asked whether and how he knew Mr. Saleh, he denied any knowledge of the man. On how he knew that the monies he collected and transferred were for Mr. Saleh, he stated that the EFCC told him that the monies were for the Minister, Saleh Mamman.
When reminded that Saleh had left office as Minister before he collected the last money and who then did he gave the money to, he said that he gave the money to the EFCC. Recall that Saleh Mamman was appointed Minister of Power on August 21, 2019 and he left office on September 1, 2021. Trial continues on the matter.
