Court Remands Ex-power Minister in Kuje Prison over N33bn Fraud

The Abuja Federal High Court has ordered that a former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, be remanded in Kuje prison in Abuja pending the consideration of his bail application.

Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Thursday after the court resumed Mamman’s arraignment on money laundering charge which was earlier stepped down by the judge.

The former minister pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC had filed a 12-count money laundering charge against Mamman.

He was alleged to have committed money laundering offences to the tune of N33 billion.

The former minister served under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021.

On May 10, 2021, he was arrested and detained at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja.

Buhari had September 1, 2021, sacked Mamman and the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, in what was called a cabinet restructuring.

Mamman was accused of conspiring with staff of the ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects to divert about N22 billion.

The investigations uncovered property in Nigeria and overseas allegedly linked to the suspects, while millions of naira and dollars had reportedly been recovered.