Lalong Has No Hand In Jang’s Prosecution, He Is Prosecuted For Alleged Misappropriation Of N6.32 Billion-Plateau APC Secretary

Yakubu Busari

The Plateau State Secretary of the All Progressive Congress APC, Barr. Sati,  has said the law of prosecution is there punish in accordance with the laid down rules  any public officers who has occupied or is occupying government offices and has diverted of funds or link to diversion of funds  earmarked  for  projects and development of the state.

 

 

Musan -Sati advised those saying that   the  ongoing  trial  of the  former  governor  of the  plateau State for  alleged fraud  as  the  handiwork of the State  government  to   have a rethink  that  the governor  Lalong  led  government don’t  have a hand in it.

 

Lalong gain nothing for fueling the ongoing trial of the immediate past senator.

 

 

Barr. Musa  Sati made  the clarification in an  interview  with  journalists at  his  residence while  responding to the  court   ruling   over the former  governor’s on   “No Case  Submission ” application in favour   at  the High Court (5) in Jos.

 

 

Sati  said  the  money which  the  former governor is  standing   trial   on was  earmarked for Small  Scale Enterprise(SME) to  uplift  the standard  of  living  of low  income earners  in  the state and it was  diverted  to different things, or ended  in private  pocket.

 

 

Secondly  the  SUBEB funds which is  also meant to provide qualitative  education  for  children in plateau  state and for person  or  group of persons to  have diverted  it for different use,  is unacceptable, obtainable and  unjustifiable to  say the least, Musa  maintained.

 

 

He  said as a politician, he  never  wished the  former  governor Jonah  Jang  and  those standing  trial  for alleged fraud  by  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) bad luck, but this will  serve  as a lesson  to  the  politicians who  uses  the funds  entrusted  in  their  care for  other things.

 

 

“I think  the ruling  of the Court that  the  1st  and  2nd defendant senator Jonah Jang and his former  cashier Yusuf Pam standing  trial is based on the  evidence  before the  Court,  so I plead with  the citizens  of the  State  to allow the court  to  do  it work  without  interference and  anybody find  culpable be  punish  according  to the law. ”

 

 

He  however, advice those  trying to  play  politics  with  the  trial  of the  former governor to stop  it  henceforth and have  rethink   because  plateau  state  is  bigger than individual and groups.

 

Meanwhile the 1st defendant  Edward  Pwajok(SAN), said they will  challenging  the “No” Case  submission ruling  against  the  1st  defendant  in the  appeal  Court, which means  the  appeal  will be heard simultaneously with  the   case.

 

 

As he said the  bail condition  of the  accused  persons  is still  intact but their  international passports  is still  in possession  of the court but they can travel  anywhere  within  the  country and  free  citizens like you and l.

 

 

In his response with the court ruling over the no Case submission the counsel to the EFCC Barr. Gideon  Azi commended  the judgement.

 

 

“I commend  the  ruling of the Court which  in favor  of  the  Economic and Financial crimes commission (EFCC) and  against  the  accused, which  means the case is going  to start  afresh with the retirement of Longji”.

 

 

Barr Azi further  add  that he expects  the  ruling  considering  the  clarity of  the case and  the  facts  of  the case.

 

 

“we expect the  outcome  of the  case  because  it’s  very  clear  ,you  cannot  be  given  money for  a particular  project, and interchange  it  without  due  legislative  backing which  is  exactly  what happened “.

 

 

The  agency  further stressed that  they  will  not  lose  sleep over  the  accused  intention to  appeal  the  ruling  of the  Court  over  no Case  submission.

 

 

It would be recalled that senator  David  Jonah  Jang is facing trial  over  corruption and misappropriation of Plateau State funds to the tune of N6.32billion during his  tenure  as  the  governor  of plateau state from 2007-2015.

 

 

The  case  however took a dramatic  turn  when  the  anti-corruption  agency amended  case  against  the  1st and 2nd  defendant which  was  rule  in favor  of  the prosecutor (EFCC).

 

 

The accused persons in a smart  and dramatic  move filed  “No”  Case  submission  which is  however  rule  in favor  of the Federal  government today 31st December, 2019 that  the 1st  and 2nd defendant  ,David  jang  and Yusuf Pam has case to answer in  the misappropriation  of the State  fund  under  contention, based  on  the Prima  facie case before  the  Court.