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Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years imprisonment over the diversion of public funds amounting to about ₦33.8 billion.
The court convicted Mamman on all 12 counts of fraud and money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Omotosho sentenced the former minister to seven years imprisonment on 10 counts, while counts four and five attracted three years and two years respectively.
The judge ruled that the sentences would run consecutively without an option of fine, except for count four where a ₦10 million fine option was granted.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of foreign currencies recovered from the convict, alongside four properties in Abuja linked to him.
Mamman, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was found guilty of illegally diverting funds meant for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects.
The court further held that the former minister made a cash payment of $655,700, equivalent to about ₦200 million, for a property in Abuja without using any financial institution.
Justice Omotosho stated that most of the diverted funds were moved through Bureau de Change operators who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed them over to the defendant.
The judge also criticized Mamman for failing to leave a meaningful legacy while serving as Minister of Power.
The former minister was absent during both his conviction and sentencing proceedings. His counsel, Mohammed Ahmed, informed the court that he was unaware of his client’s whereabouts and that attempts to reach him through his phone lines were unsuccessful.
Following the judgment, the court directed security agencies to collaborate with INTERPOL to ensure Mamman’s arrest.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the prison sentence would begin from the date of his arrest.
