The trial of former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman resumed on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Presiding over the proceedings, Justice James Omotosho continued with the cross-examination of the third prosecution witness (PW3), Colonel Adebisi Adesanya (retd).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Mamman on a 12-count charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering involving N33.8 billion.
The allegations include the diversion of funds allocated for the Mambilla Hydro Power project.
During testimony on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Colonel Adesanya revealed that the former minister spent N20 million on lodging at Sami Court Resort Limited over one year.
Adesanya, who owns the resort and serves as its chief security officer, described it as a service apartment where guests could stay long-term.
“You only book in with your clothes; everything else is serviced by the apartment,” he explained.
Adesanya stated that the payments, made between 2021 and 2022, were deposited into the resort’s United Bank for Africa (UBA) account.
He identified invoices, marked as Exhibit PWC, that detailed transactions made by various entities on behalf of Mamman. These payments included:
N5 million from Golden Bond Nigeria Limited on September 6, 2021.
N5 million from Mintedge Nigeria Limited on January 23, 2022.
N2.5 million from Abdullahi Suleiman on March 9, 2022.
N7.5 million from A.I.J Global Tools Limited on May 10, 2022.
All payments, totalling N20 million, covered the rental of a single-bedroom apartment for Mamman from August 30, 2021, to August 30, 2022.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Femi Atteh, SAN, Adesanya admitted he was questioned by the EFCC on September 6, 2023, regarding the resort’s financial records from 2019 to 2021.
He maintained that the payments in question were properly invoiced by the resort.
Following the cross-examination, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case to January 13, 2025, for further proceedings.
