How ex-minister allegedly used Mambilla hydropower project fund to buy personal houses – Witness

A prosecution witness narrated at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday how former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, allegedly used funds meant for Nigeria’s Mambilla Hydropower project to purchase houses in nation’s capital.

Abubakar Kweido, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told the court that his team’s investigations revealed the companies with which Mr Mamman allegedly diverted the funds meant for the hydropower project for his personal use.

Mr Kweido is the first prosecution witness to testify in the trial of Mr Mamman, who faces a 12-count indictment, including money laundering and conspiracy to divert public funds amounting to N33.8 billion.

Led in evidence by EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the witness recalled on Wednesday that EFCC recovered during a search of Mr Mamman’s residence foreign currency notes and documents linked to Abangus Nigeria Ltd., a company that Mr Kweido allegedly used to divert part of the project funds.

“We invited and presented the findings of the investigation to the minister, which he acknowledged and responded to in the presence of his lawyer. He denied connection to all the alleged properties, stating that one Maisbahu Idris, who was his Personal Assistant, usually received money from the Project Accountant of the Mambilla Hydro project to share with his staff in the ministry.

“We went ahead to conduct a search in the minister’s house and we recovered some foreign currencies in cash. We also recovered the CAC documents of Abangus Nig. Ltd whose investigation revealed that the company was one of the entities used by the minister to facilitate the diversion of funds from the project account of Mambilla,” a statement by EFCC, capturing Wednesday’s proceedings of the trial, said.

The witness said investigations showed that some funds released to the former minister were used to purchase properties in Kado Estate and Wuse 2, Abuja.

In September, when Mr Kweido began his testimony, he told the court that N33.8 billion meant for the hydropower project was transferred to 13 unauthorised entities, none of which were directly involved in the project.

Charges

Mr Mamman, who served as the Minister of Power from August 2019 till September 2021, when he was unceremoniously removed from office by President Muhammadu Buhari, denied all the charges read to him in court on Thursday.

Preparatory to the filing of the charges, the EFCC detained Mr Mamman in May 2023, about 20 months after his removal from office and less than three weeks before the end of Mr Buhari’s tenure.

The 12 counts filed against him include conspiracy to commit money laundering and breach of trust, which centered on illegal diversion of the hydropower project through various private companies.

EFCC accused him in the charges of conspiring with private companies and ministry officials to misappropriate funds allocated for two major power infrastructure projects – the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power plants.

One count alleged that Mamman made a cash payment of $655,700 to Mohiba Investment Ltd., bypassing Nigeria’s financial institutions in violation of the country’s anti-money laundering laws.

The prosecution listed Prymint Investment Ltd. and Gurupche Business Enterprise among the unauthorised recipients of project funds.

Some entities were also accused of receiving payments via joint ventures with Tractebel, De-Crown Projects Ltd., and SinoHydro Groups, companies originally contracted for the projects.

Mr Mamman pleaded not guilty to all charges when he was arraigned in July.

Trial judge, James Omotosho adjourned further proceedings until 23 October.

The Mambilla hydropower project is at the centre of another corruption trial which similarly highlights how another minister allegedly profited illegally from it while Nigeria’s longstanding, intractable power crisis remains unresolved.