TheCable

A Plateau state high court on Thursday admitted more exhibit in the N6.3 billion fraud trial against Jonah Jang, former governor of Plateau state.

Jang is standing trial along with Yusuf Pam, a former government official in the state, on a 12-count charge bothering on diversion of public funds while serving as the governor.

At the court on Thursday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its fourth witness, Habila Dung, a retired permanent secretary in the cabinet and special services department, office to the state government.

Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to EFCC, Dung said his responsibility was to generate memos for payment, taking minutes of meetings, among other administrative duties which are assigned to him.

Dung said he generated memos approved by the former governor for the payment of over N4 billion for the state security council (SSC) between January and May 2015.

“The memos for the money, which were approved by Jang, then governor, were then directed to the commissioner of finance for payment,” Dung said.

“The funds are then released to Pam, the cashier, after the accountant general of the state credited the account of the cabinet special services account domiciled with Zenith Bank PLC.

“I witnessed Pam taking cash to the governor at the government house on several occasions.

“The money is captured as security expenditure in the budget and paid to members of the SSC, including the governor, his deputy, director, state security services, commander of air force base, commander, Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, commissioner of police, commissioner of finance, commissioner of information, state coordinator, military intelligence, special adviser on security, chief of staff to the governor, special adviser on special duties, secretary to the state governor, director, research and documentation.

“The SSC is saddled with the task of compiling monthly intelligence report and circulating the reports to the president, the defence headquarters, security chiefs and other states of the federation.”

Jacobs then tendered in evidence, the various memos and electronic payment documents of the transaction done on several days.

This includes on January 24, 2015 (N210 million); January 30, 2015 (N210 million); March 17, 2015 (N216 million); March 20, 2015 (N214 million); March 26, 2015 (N350 million); March 27, 2015 (N350 million); April 7, 2015 (N650 million); April 8, 2015 (N750 million); April 9, 2015 (N150 million), and April 10, 2015 (N210 million).

Mike Ozekhome, Jang’s lawyer, did not raise any objection to the admissibility of the documents.

Daniel Longji, the presiding judge, admitted in evidence the memos for the classified expenditure.