The Fourteenth Prosecution Witness, PW14, Mohammed Ashelk Jidda in the trial of Ex-Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman Mohammed, on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 told a Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho that, the former Minister Mamman Saleh, paid him a Dollar equivalent of N200 million in cash for the purchase of a five bedroom property in Wuse, Abuja.
Saleh Mamman is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in relation to the Mambilla Power Project on a 12-count charge, bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-three Kobo).
However, under cross examination by Counsel to the Defendant, Mr. Femi Atteh, SAN, the Witness was shown his earlier written statement for the EFCC (marked as Exhibit PWBB) where he made a contrary statement by telling the EFCC in his statement that: “I Sold one of my property located at No. 12 Lungi Street, Wuse II, Abuja, the house I sold is five Bedroom twin Duplex, the house was sold to Samson Bittrus in the sum of N200,000,000.00 Million which the money was paid to me in the Dollar equivalent cash by the Samson Bitrus, the Dollar was brought to me in my office located at Gimbiya Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja by Samson Bitrus. We signed the documents together, he collected the documents and departed.
Mr. Mohammed Ashelk Jidda admitted that the statement shown to him by Mr. Atteh SAN was his own statement with his signature, but could not reconcile the content of the document with what he had just told the Court that he sold the house to Mr. Saleh Mamman Mohammed.
Rather he told the Court that it was Bitrus told him that the minister was the one was buying the property, the minister was the one who instructed me to sign the documents with Mohammed Hussein” Ashelk Jidda stated
Saleh Mamman; EFCC Witness Admits Lying, Contradicts Self in Court
