The trial of former Minister of Power, Saleh
Mamman continued on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at the Federal High Court,
Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho with the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC presenting its 8th witness, PW8.
The witness, PW8 Abdullahi Suleman, a bureau de change
operator, narrated how more than N22 billion was allegedly siphoned from
the Federal Ministry of Power while Mamman was Minister. He 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.
“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 Musbhu anytime he was not
available, he would send him and give me instructions on what to do with
him, we do call him Yaro Minister because he is from Saleh Mamman", he
said.
Continuing, “ 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 Jan 2022, N64, 747,627 on 16 February 2022,
among others and he agreed receiving them.
Earlier, a Compliance Officer from FCMB 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, Bentech Nigeria Limited admitted and marked Exhibit
XTUB.
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