Yakubu Busari
Justice Christy’s Dabup has discharged and acquitted the former Governor of Plateau State, Sen.Jonah’s David Jang, and the Former Cashier to the Office of Secretary to Plateau Government. Yusuf Pam of allegations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N6.2 billion fraud against.
While delivering her judgment, Honourable Justice Dabup said the EFCC can’t prove their case of alleged misappropriation, diversion, and public funds entrusted to the former Governor of Plateau state.
The court quashed all the 17 count charges labeled against the former Governor and the government cashier that the case instituted against them lack merit and hereby dismissed and acquit.
Sen.Jang and Yusuf Pam, a former cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (OSSG), were prosecuted before Justice C. L. Dabup of Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on allegation of N6.2 billion of the Small Medium, and Enterprises and SUBEB funds running into billions.
They have been facing trial for alleged criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of Plateau State funds to the tune of N6.2 billion.
However, the EFCC couldn’t prove the burden or established beyond reasonable doubt allegations of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10&17 count charges labeled against the former Governor and the cashier, so the court can’t secure any conviction brought by the prosecution under section 135 subsection 1&2 of 2011 which is in line with the 1999 constitution amended.
Besides EFCC presented the fourteenth witness (PW14), a Chief Superintendent of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Commission (ICPC), Taiwo Oloronyomi, who testified against the defendants.
The crux of the statement pertained to the withdrawal of monies through cheques approved by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State government, which was taken to the first defendant (Jang), the court said it didn’t find substantive proof of evidence showing that the accused personally siphoned or divert such monies.
The defendants’ counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and S. Olewale applauded the court for the delivering judgment on the evidence of the EFCC which they can’t prove to them and the court is been mindful of the charges.
