From Godwin Tsa, Abuja The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to 75 years imprisonment over corruption linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects. Before he was sentenced yesterday, the court had, on May 7, convicted him in absentia. Justice James Omotosho convicted Mamman on a 12-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge held that the sentence should run consecutively without an option of fine, except on count four, for which he allowed the payment of a N10 million fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of various foreign currencies recovered from the convict, as well as four choice properties in Abuja traced to him. While he was jailed for seven years each on 10 counts of the charge, he was sentenced to three years and two years imprisonment on counts four and five respectively. Justice Omotosho further ordered that the jail term would begin from the day the convict is arrested. The judge also directed all security agencies to arrest Mamman wherever he is found. Justice Omotosho equally ordered that all monies and properties recovered from the former minister be forfeited to the Federal Government, while directing him to refund the outstanding balance from the alleged N22 billion linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects. Justice Omotosho said he was satisfied that the anti-graft agency had successfully established the former minister’s culpability beyond reasonable doubt. He convicted him on all counts in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2024. Mamman, who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, was found complicit in the illegal diversion of public funds. The court found that he made a cash payment of $655,700 (equivalent to N200 million) for a landed property in Abuja without recourse to a financial institution. He was also found guilty of criminal breach of trust in relation to funds released by the Federal Government for the Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant projects. The court noted that most of the funds were siphoned through Bureau de Change operators (BDCs), who converted the money into foreign currencies and handed it over to the defendant. “The evidence of the prosecution is overwhelming as against the scanty and almost absent defence of the defendant. “The defendant did not offer any credible evidence to rebut the prosecution’s case,” Justice Omotosho held. The trial judge decried that the defendant, as Minister of Power, was not bothered about leaving a lasting legacy. “Rather than creating a legacy to tackle the epileptic power supply in the country, the defendant was living large at the expense of ordinary citizens. “Little wonder Nigerians have remained in darkness till today,” the judge added. Meanwhile, the defendant, who was absent when he was convicted by the court, was also not present when the sentence was passed. The court had issued a warrant for his arrest. A lawyer, Mr Mohammed Ahmed, who announced his appearance for the convict, told the court that he did not know his whereabouts, adding that calls placed to his phone lines failed to connect. After the sentencing, Justice Omotosho ordered all security agencies to liaise with Interpol to ensure the arrest of the convict. The court held that the sentence should begin from the day of his arrest.