Alleged Fraud: EFCC, Ex-Power Minister To Adopt Final Address Apr. 23

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has fixed April 23 for the former minister of power, Engr. Saleh Mammam and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to adopt their final written addresses in the alleged money laundering charges instituted against him.

The court fixed the date, after granting an application by counsel to the former minister, Femi Atteh (SAN) for an extension of time to file final address of the defendant.

He equally sought time to file a reply to the written address of the prosecution counsel and the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

The two motions were granted as they were not opposed to by the prosecution counsel.

In July 2024, the EFCC arraigned Engr. Mammam on 12 counts of alleged money laundering and conspiracy with officials of the ministry of power and some private companies to allegedly convert N33.8billion meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydro electric power project.

Meanwhile, the former minister has pleaded not guilty to all the counts while maintaining that the prosecution has no case against him.

Following his plea of not guilty, the EFCC went on to present 17 witnesses and tendered 43 exhibits against the defendant before closing it’s case.

The defendant who testify as the sole witness argued that the evidence by the prosecution did not link him to any of the alleged offence.

In urging the court to throw out the charges, the former minister submitted that he has no links whatsoever, with all the companies listed in the charge against him.

Meanwhile, in another case before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), two prosecution witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have confirmed that the name of former Minister of Power, Engr. Saleh Mamman, did not appear in any of the account opening packages, signatory mandate and statement of accounts of the companies linked to the alleged N31bn fraud.

Already, Justice Maryam Anineh of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has admitted in evidence, documents of account opening packages, signatory mandate, statement of accounts for transactions on various accounts and certificate of identification regarding the affected companies.

The companies are Spinhills Biz International Limited, Silverline Ocean Ventures Limited, Beaver Builders Limited, Gurupche Business Enterprise, Breathable Investment Limited, First-class construction Project limited, Royal Perimeter Ventures, Dannywest  Limited, Dorino Bright Limited, Sipikin Global Ventures Limited, and Fullest Utility Concepts Limited.

Mamman and seven others, namely, Mustapha Abubakar Bida, Joseph Omotayo Adewunmi, Ben Nsikak, Stephen Ojo, Oladipo Adebowale, Michael Achua and Ogunjobi Olusila are standing trial on a nine-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, false pretence and intent to defraud to the tune of N31bn.

However, the prosecution witnesses did not establish that Mammam Saleh owned the companies, served as directors or exercise control over them.

Furthermore, exhibits tendered by the EFCC showed that the transactions in questions occured both before his appointment as Minister and after he left office.

Earlier in his evidence in chief before the court, Umar Abba, a Compliance Officer  with the Zenith bank, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN presented account opening packages, signatory mandate, statement of accounts for transactions on various accounts and certificate of identification regarding the affected companies.

In his testimony, he said that sometime around March, 2025, the EFCC wrote to his bank to provide those documents which were generated from his computer system and were supplied to the Commission.

The documents were tendered in evidence with no objection and marked Exhibit A1-A4, ,B1-B4,C1-C4.

During cross examination, counsel to the former minister (1st defendant), asked the witness whether the name of Engr. Saleh Mammam was in any of the banking documents of the listed companies, he answered that his name was not there.

He was further asked whether the former minister was a board of director or a share holder of the mentioned companies, he answered in the negative.