Court remands Ex-Power Minister in Kuje prison, adjourns case
By Matthew Denis
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in Kuje prison pending the consideration of his bail application.
Mamman was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering offences and pleaded not guilty. The court adjourned the hearing of the bail application until the next day, July 12.
Mamman’s lawyer, Femi Ate (SAN), had filed a bail application, but the prosecuting lawyer, Olumide Fusika (SAN), noted that it was not yet in the court’s file.
The court granted Ate’s request to argue the bail application the next day, which was not opposed by Fusika.
The trial is set to commence soon, with the EFCC accusing Mamman of involvement in money laundering offences.
The former minister’s remand in Kuje prison pending bail is the latest development in the case.
The judge then adjourned till Friday, July 12, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje correctional centre.
The defendant, who his lawyer said is ill, looked dejected while stepping off the dock, shortly after the judge’s pronouncement.
The arraignment of Mr Saleh Mamman, former Minister of Power under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, stalled after he collapsed outside the courtroom of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Mamman, whose plea was fixed for Thursday morning, collapsed before the case was called
The former minister’s counsel, Femi Ate, SAN, told Justice James Omotosho shortly when the matter was called for Mamman to take his plea.
Upon resumed hearing, the ex-minister walked into the courtroom and stepped into the dock with part of his clothes drenched.
Justice Omotosho then asked why Mamman was sweating or whether it was raining outside.
The former minister, who responded from the dock, said water was poured on him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, while addressing the court, said though the matter was fixed for Mamman’s arraignment, there was a development outside the courtroom.
Olumide-Fusika said he had a discussion with Ate outside the courtroom about Mamman’s ill-health.
“I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learned senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” he said.
Speaking, Ate said Mamman “upon being brought into the premises of the court, collapsed and had to be resuscitated and treated by the medical personnel of the Federal High Court.”
He said his client was served with the charge after he was resuscitated.
“He was served this morning,” he added.
The senior lawyer said he sought the understanding of Olumide-Fusika for an adjournment so that the arraignment could be done on Monday when his client would have been okay.
But the judge said due to the workload in the court dockets, the arraignment could only be fixed for September ending.
Ate then withdrew the oral application for an adjournment.
Olumide-Fusika said he had just filed an amended charge earlier in the morning following a mistake in the name of the defendant and prayed the court that the fresh charge be read to Mamman to take his plea but Justice Omotosho disagreed with him.
The judge, however, asked Mamman if he was fit enough to take his plea today, and he responded in the affirmative.
The former minister explained to the court that he collapsed outside the courtroom because of the drugs he took when he had not eaten, and while he was outside the courtroom waiting to be called, his blood pressure dropped.
Mamman, however, said he was fit to continue with the arraignment.
“It can happen to anyone,” the judge said.
The ex-minister told the court that he called the attention of his lawyer to the error made by the EFCC on the name in the charge served on him.
“I was complaining about the name, that it was not my own,” he said.
