Justice
Daniel Longji of the Plateau state High Court sitting in Jos on Wednesday
ordered a trial-within-trial in a corruption case involving the former Governor
of Plateau state Senator Jonah Jang and former Cashier in the Office of the
Secretary of State Government, Yusuf Pam in order to determine whether
statement from former Cashier indicting the former governor was obtained
voluntarily. Jang is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crime
Commission (EFCC) on a 12-count charge bordering on embezzlement and
misappropriation of funds to the tune of N6.3billion while in office.
Justice
Longji said the trial within trial became necessary in order to establish the
fact of the purported statement written by Yusuf Pam who is the 2nd
defendant to be tendered before the court by a witness, Taiwo Olorunyomi an
Investigator with Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences,
(ICPC).
During the
sitting on Tuesday, Olorunyomi came to court with a statement alleged to have
been written by the 2nd defendant when he was invited by ICPC.
The
statement has shown that N2 billion MSME was withdrawn and taken to Jang in
cash by the 2nd defendant from Plateau state project account as Classified
Expenditure. After given his oral evidence on Wednesday, Olorunyomi wanted to
buttress his testimony and sought tender through his counsel Rotimi Jacobs
(SAN) the purported statement written by the 2nd defendant that collaborates
what he told the court but counsel to 2nd defendant Sunny G Odey
objected to it alleging that his client wrote the statement under duress.
The
statement was given to the 2nd defendant to confirm or deny the
authenticity of it and he said, “It is my statement, but I wrote it under
duress, I was threatened.”
Counsel to 2nd
defendant then urged the court to give them adequate time to prove that his
client wrote the statement under duress. Justice Longji said for fair hearing
and for law to take its course, he adjourned the case until 25th and 26th
April, 2019 for trial within trial.
