Admin l Wednesday, May 16, 2018
JOS, Plateau, Nigeria – Former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang was today remanded in Prison custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC). Jonah Jang was arraigned on a 12 count charge of misappropriation of funds to the tune of N6. 3 billion.
SenatorJang who is on trial with Yusuf Gyang Pam, a cashier in the office of Secretary to the state government was alleged to have pocketed N2 billion released by the CBN in 2015 for disbursement to small and medium scale enterprises in the state under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Funds (MSMEDF). The money was released in April just about one month before the expiration of his tenure as governor.
According to the EFCC, Jang in addition conered N4.3billion from the state coffers through the cashier of the Office of the Secretary to the State Government. While Gyang was accused of using his office for personal enrichment to the tune of N11.5million.
“That you, Senator Jonah David Jang, whilst being the Governor of Plateau State between January and May, 2015 in Jos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your office as Executive Governor of Plateau State to confer unfair advantage upon yourself by collecting the sum of N4,357,195,000 (Four billion, Three Hundred and Fifty-Seven Million, One Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand Naira) from the cashier of the Office of the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, and which sum was derived from the account of Plateau State Government, and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000”.
“That you, Yusuf Gyang Pam, whilst being a cashier at the Office of the Secretary to the Plateau State Government on 11th July, 2014 in Jos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your office as cashier at the Office of Secretary to the Plateau State Government to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself by making a cash lodgment of the sum of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) into your personal account with Zenith Bank and which sum was derived from the account of Plateau State Government , and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 195 01of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), asked the court to fix a date for hearing and to remand the suspects in prison custody pending trial.
But counsel to the defendenat, Robert Clarke (SAN) urged the court to admit the defendants to bail on self-recognition, saying “the first defendant was a former military governor, two-time civilian governor and currently a serving senator”. Justice Longji thereafter ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison custody till May 24, 2018 when the matter will come up for hearing.
