A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in Kuje prison pending the consideration of his bail application. Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Thursday during Mamman’s arraignment on money laundering charges.
Mamman pleaded not guilty to the 12-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accused him of laundering N33 billion. The former minister, who served under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021, was arrested and detained by the EFCC on May 10, 2021.
The charges allege that Mamman conspired with ministry staff overseeing the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects to divert approximately N22 billion. The investigation has reportedly uncovered properties linked to the suspects both in Nigeria and abroad, along with millions of naira and dollars recovered.
Mamman was dismissed from his ministerial position on September 1, 2021, as part of a cabinet restructuring by President Buhari.
Leave a Reply