By A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a cumulative seventy-five years imprisonment over a ₦33.8 billion money laundering case and ordered the forfeiture of several assets linked to him.
AfrikTimes had earlier reported on Thursday, May 7, that Mamman was convicted on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering involving ₦33,804,830,503.73 connected to funds released for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Projects in his case against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Delivering his judgment on Wednesday, Justice James Omotosho, sentenced Mamman to “seven years each on counts 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11& 12 without an option of fine, three years on count 4 with an option of fine of N10m and two years on count 5 without an option of fine.”
The court held that the sentences would run consecutively.
However, Mamman was absent during the sentencing proceedings. Following his absence, Justice Omotosho ordered all national and international security agencies to arrest and hand him over to the Nigerian Correctional Service to commence his jail term
The court also granted the application of prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, for the forfeiture of properties and funds traced to the convict.
His two units of four- bedroom detached apartments located at 93 Ahmed Joda Crescent, Kado Estate, Abuja and a property located at No 12A & B, Lingo Street, Wuse, Abuja, were subsequently ordered forfeited.
According to the EFCC, Mamman also forfeited $13,890, €19,960, £10,000 , 42,390 Doran, R35,000, ₹50,60,00, and 247 Saudi Arabia Riyadth recovered from his house to the government.
In addition, the court ordered Mamman to refund the outstanding balance between the recovered funds and the amount he was found to have laundered, estimated at about ₦22 billion.
