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| Sen Jang |
Jang is with N2 billion MSME funds and also borrowed N3billion meant for PSUBEB- witness tells
Court.
By Joseph A.
Adudu
April 09, 2018
An investigator with the independent corrupt
practice and other related offences commission (ICPC) Taiwo Olorunfumi told
justice Daniel Longji of High court 5 Jos on Tuesday that based on investigation, the two
billion naira (N2 billion) released by
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) few years ago to Plateau state small and medium enterprise
development agency is with Jonah David Jang, a former Governor of Plateau State
and now senator of the Republic.
Jang and one, Yusuf Pam, a former cashier with the
Plateau State government are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial
Crime Commission (EFCC) on a five court charge bordering on embezzlement and
misappropriation of funds. The witness further told the court that Jang, who is
the first defendant also directed the borrowing of the sum of three billion
Naira (N3 billion) from the Plateau
State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB) which was done in tranches stressing
that the development hindered the activities of PSUBEB.
Olorunfumi who is PW8 told the court that sometimes
in 2016, the ICPC received a petition from Plateau State government alleging abuse
of office, embezzlement of funds, misappropriation and several corrupt
practices against the administration of the former government which was
assigned to a team headed by one, Fatima Mohammed and assisted by him. He said
that in the cause of investigating the petition, he became close to government
officials in a bid to have documents that will help in the truth or otherwise
of the allegation mentioned in the petition.
“After analyzing the documents, I still had cause to
invite for interview several persons that were found to have played one role or
the other in the cause of the investigation. Among the persons we invited are
the 1st defendant, 2nd defendant, former commissioner of
finance during the administration of the 1st defendant, the Accountant- General
of the state during the period of the first defendant and several other persons”.
The witness said that in the cause of investigation,
it was discovered that the CBN released the sum of N2 Billion to the Plateau State Government adding that the release
of the said amount was based on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between
the Plateau State government and the CBN that the fund would be released to
certain financial institutions for onward lending to micro enterprises in
Plateau State at a low borrowing cost so that these enterprises can use it to
support and expand businesses.
According to PW8, “In the MOU, the CBN had agreed
with Plateau State government that there would be a state special purpose
vehicle, that is an agency by name; Plateau State Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Agency (PLASMEDA) and that this agency will open an account whereby
the 2 Billion from CBN to the state is domiciled for the purpose of disbursement
to the financial institutions that have registered with the CBN for micro,
small and medium skill enterprises.
"This financial institution will see to the
administration, disbursement and also recovering of the N2 billion which was to be given to small and medium enterprises as
loans.”
The witness also said that it was discovered that the
N2 billion released by the CBN did not
go to the PLASMEDA account, instead, it went to the Plateau State Project
account and according to the witness, that decision negated the agreement
between the CBN and Plateau State Government.
“We later discovered that at a point in time, this
money was moved to another account that belongs to the Plateau Project account”
he said.
PW8 said they
also had cause to invite the Commissioner of Finance, the permanent secretary
(Cabinet and special services) who worked in the office of the secretary of the
state government during the period of the administration of the 1st
defendant in other to know how the N2
Billion was disbursed.
“These persons honoured the invitation and
volunteered statements and also gave us the supporting documents in addition to
the documents we already had. We discovered that the N2 Billion was withdrawn in several tranches from the Plateau State
Project account as classified expenditure and was cashed by the 2nd
defendant and taken to the 1st defendant.
“At this point, we asked them what they meant by
classified expenditure and they told us that it was only the 1st
defendant that can tell us what is classified expenditure.
We went ahead to find out from the state officials
of the Plateau state government if there was any policy document to explain
what classified expenditure means and how it was to be disbursed but couldn’t
lay hands on any document from the official of the Plateau State government.”
The witness said that thereafter, it became
imperative to invite the 1st defendant which they did and that the 1st
defendant did honoured the invitation and volunteered a statement.
“To our amazement, though he had given approval to
classified expenditure, he said he doesn’t know what it is and therefore cannot
declassify it”. From our investigation, the
N2 Billion is still with the 1st defendant.
PW8 added that the 1st defendant also
directed the borrowing of the sum of N3
Billion from PSUBEB account which was done in tranches.
According to
witness, the first tranche was about N2.079
Billion which the 1st defendant made to pay contractors and settled
other liabilities by the state; another 700 million naira and 400 million naira
borrowed and spent as classified expenditures.
“We also discovered that the borrowing hindered the
activities of the PSUBEB because the money should have been used for the
renovation of schools, furnishing and building of schools” He said.
Witness said that just like in the case of the N2 billion, the N3 billion was withdrawn in tranches by the 2nd
defendant and taken to the 1st defendant.
The statement made by the 1st defendant
to ICPC was tendered in evidence by the prosecution counsel and was not
objected to by the defense counsel. However, when Jacob Rotimi, (SAN) prosecution
counsel sought to tender the statement by the second defendant given to ICPC,
Mike Ozhekome vehemently objected to it saying that due process must be
followed. The witness was stood down and the court directed that the statement
of the 2nd defendant to ICPC be properly served on the defense.
The matter continues tomorrow 10th April,
2019.
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