Breaking: Court orders trial -within -trial in EFCC case against Sen. Jang
James Abraham, Jos
The Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on Wednesday ordered a trial- within- trial to ascertain whether the statement which the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission EFFC, obtained from a former Cashier of the state Government House,Mr Yusuf Pam, facing over N6 bn charges were voluntarily
Justice Daniel Longji who presided over the case in Jos on Wednesday gave the order in his ruling following the disclosure that ICPC operatives presurred Mr Pam to make written statements during investigation
Pam is standing trial at the state High Court alongside the former Governor of the State in a 12-count charge brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which bordered on alleged corruption and misappropriation of the state funds amounting to over N6 bn.
The EFCC had alleged that Jang, who served as Plateau governor between 2007 and 2015, misappropriated the alleged fund, two months to the end of his administration in 2015,among others
The duo had since pleaded not guity to the charges
When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs,SAN, had called the 8th witness, Mr Taiwo Olorunwoni ,an Investigator with the ICPC ,who testified before the court how N2 bn belonging to the Plateau State Medium and Small Scale Enterprise Agency and another N3 bn of the state Univeraal Basic Education Board were withrawn by the Cashier and taken to the former Governor
Mr Jacobs had sought to tender the written statement of Mr Pam as evidence in court, but his move was objected to by the defence counsel, Mr Mike Ozekheme,SAN who argued that the statements were not voluntarily obtained as confirmed by Mr Pam who told the court that he was pressured by the ICPC operatives to make the written statement
After arguments, the prosecution and the Defense counsel, agreed for the court to proceed on trial within trial of the matter to ascertain if the statements were voluntarily obtained by the commission.
Justice Daniel Longji therefore adjourned the case for a trial-within-trial to the twenty fifth and twenty sixth April,2019
Nasarawa Reporters 