A witness of the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday told a court in Abuja how a former Minister of Power, Alhaji Saleh Mamman, allegedly stole more than N22 billion from the Federal Ministry of Power while he was a minister.
The trial of Mamman continued today, January 22, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho with the EFCC presenting its eighth witness, number PW8.
The witness, Abdullahi Suleman, a bureau de change operator, said the naira equivalent of the money was exchanged for United States dollars through his business accounts.
Mamman is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 (thirty-three billion, eight hundred and four million, eight hundred and thirty thousand, five hundred and three naira, seventy-three kobo).
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Suleiman, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, narrated that about 12 of his business accounts received money from the Federal Ministry of Power without carrying out any service, contact or project.
His companies – Prymint Investment Limited, Strong Field International Projects Limited, Mintedge Nigeria Limited, First Class Construction and Project, Silverline Ocean Ventures, Golden Bond Nigeria Limited, Sipikin Global Enterprise, Spinhiills Biz International Limited, Fullest Utility Concepts Limited, Platinum Touch Enterprises, Breathable Investment Limited and a company owned by his brother named Gurupche Business Enterprises – were used for the transactions.
He said: “I know Alhaji Maina Goje, we are in the same business. Sometimes in 2019, Maina Goje met me that he has transaction that I should give him some of my account numbers, the first account I gave him was Fullest, he will send money and I will give him dollars, he started asking for more accounts, he will tell me what to do with the transactions, I will get the dollar and give him and sometimes I will do a transfer to other accounts.
“We have been working together since then till 2024. From my rough calculations, the amount I have received through the transactions will be more than 22 billion naira.
“Also, Maina used to send someone called Musbahu anytime he was not available, he would send him and give me instructions on what to do with him. We do call him Yaron Minister because he is from Saleh Mamman.”
He adde, “I also know Mr Mustapha Muhammed, Goje told me that he is his oga, I didn’t know him before until Maina Goje introduced him to me, then I learnt he works with Federal Ministry of Housing and instructed that anytime they can’t reach him, I should give him the amount of dollars he requested.”
When shown Exhibit X series, which contained bank statements generated from his companies showing evidence of money inflows into his bank accounts with Strong Field International Projects Limited, Mintedge Nigeria Limited, Prymint Investment Limited, the witness admitted that they were the accounts he gave Maina Goje.
Among some of the notable transactions shown to him on the accounts were N285,983,285 received on 24th May 2021; N278, 248.611 on 26th May 2021; N320m on 1st January, 2021; 184m on 18 June, 2021; N178,300,285 on 14th July 2021; N75,420, 000 on 5th August 2021; N75,120,000 on 1st December 2021; N68,150,620 and N70,650 on 15th December 2021; N90,247,395 on 12th January 2022; and N64, 747,627 on 16th February 2022, among others, and he agreed receiving them.
Earlier, a Compliance Officer from FCMB had presented and tendered bank statements and attachments in a reply letter to the EFCC dated August 16, 2024 in respect of Prymint Investments Limited, Platinum Touch Enterprises, Royal Perimeter Ventures, Golden Bond Nigeria Limited, Flex Utility Concepts Limited, and Bentech Nigeria Limited admitted and marked Exhibit XTUB.
The judge adjourned the matter to January 23, 2024 for continuation of hearing.
