Courts Acquits Jang of N6.3bn Corruption Charges, EFCC To Appeal
The Plateau High Court, in Jos, on Friday, discharged and acquitted a former governor of the state, Jonah Jang, of N6.3 billion corruption charges preferred against them by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court also acquitted his co-defendant, who is a former cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government.
Mr Jang, a serving senator, and Yusuf Pam have been standing trial since 4 May, 2018.
The EFCC had charged them with 17 counts on misappropriation of state funds.
The judge, Christen Dabup, who delivered the judgement, said that the court did not find Messrs Jang and Pam guilty of any of the charges.
“The court did not find the accused persons guilty of any of the charges and they are hereby discharged and acquitted,” she said.
Reacting to the judgment, defence lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said that the court found no merit whatsoever in any of the 17 count charges.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ozekhome said that EFCC charges were nothing but lies without proof that the former military governor of Benue and old Gongola diverted the said money to personal use.
“So literally between May 4, 2018 and today Sept. 2, this man who served the state meritoriously has been undergoing torturous and harrowing experience for about four and a half years of trial and tribulations.
“But today justice came out and the court found out that the former governor did not steal a Kobo from Plateau Government coffers.
“The court said that it did not find with this man, whether in his personal account, whether in his office, whether with his children, whether with his wife, whether with his relations, whether with his friends.
“So where was this phantom money you said that this man stole?” he asked.
Mr Ozokhome said that there was no evidence that the money which was a loan from Central Bank of Nigeria taken by Plateau Government was stolen by Jang.
According to him, there were evidence that the money was duly utilised with all the heads of government validated by the Plateau State House of Assembly under an enabling and extant law.
EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe said that they were yet to receive a copy of the judgement.
Mr Atolagbe said that they would review the judgment and see whether there were grounds for appeal.
‘EFCC to appeal against judgement’
EFCC said in a statement later on Friday that it has initiated the process to appeal against the acquittal.
The terse statement signed by EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, reads, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to the Friday, September 2, 2022 judgment of Justice C.L Dabup of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, discharging and acquitting a former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah David Jang and a former cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, OSSG, Yusuf Pam, of the seventeen- count charges bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of Plateau State funds to the tune of N6.3 billion.
“The commission has initiated processes for an Appeal immediately.” (NAN)
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