By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a fresh nine-count charge against the former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, accusing him of complicity in a N31.70billion fraud.

In the charge marked: CR/375/25, which was filed before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the anti-graft agency alleged that the erstwhile Minister perpetuated the fraud between 2019 and 2022.

Seven other persons- Mustapha Abubakar Bida, Joseph Omotayo Adewunmi, Ben Nsikak, Stephen Ojo, Oladipo Adebowale, Micheal Achua, Ogunjobi Olusola- were also cited as defendants in the case.

EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired and used bank accounts of various private companies to siphon funds from the coffers of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, on false pretence that it was used for the payment of compensations.

According to the anti-graft agency which filed the charge in the name of the Federal Government, the defendants committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

For instance, it alleged that the defendants had on or about March 29, 2021, used a Zenith bank Account No. 1016555108, belonging to a firm- Breathable Investment Limited- and obtained the sum of N483.205million from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, by falsely pretending that the money represented “payment for compensation, relocation and resettlement of communities of corps and buildings in Zungeru Hepp.”

The defendants were alleged to had on December 19, 2019, obtained through First Class Construction and Project with account No. 1016554314 domiciled with Zenith bank Plc, the sum of N426.874m from the Ministry by falsely pretending that it was payment for IPC No 20 of Zungeru Hepp, knowing same to be false, thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

Likewise, on March 31, 2021, the defendants were said to have used the account of another firm, Fullest Utility Concept domiciled with First City Monument Bank, and obtained the sum of N435.250m frommtye Ministry, pretending that same was used to pay compensation for building/structures by Niger state committee on resettlement of communities to be affected by federal government’s power project.

Some of the defendants were identified as directors that were in charge of finance and account of the Ministry of Power.

The EFCC, in the charge that was signed by its prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, listed 16 witnesses it said would testify against the defendants.

Meanwhile, the court has fixed July 16 for the defendants to be arraigned before the Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf.

Mamman, who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is equally answering to another 12-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charge bordered on his alleged involvement in money laundering to the tune of about N33.8bn.