Jang didn’t embezzle N2bn – EFCC witness tells Court

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Sylvester Chung Davou, yesterday told the Plateau State High Court that the controversial N2 billion allegedly misappropriated by Senator Jonah David Jang, the then governor of the state was not true.

According to Davou, the then governor was not a signatory to the Plateau Project One that demanded the loan of N2 billion.

Besides, he explained that the said N2billion loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was captured in the handover note by Jang to the incoming administration of Governor Simon Lalong on May 29, 2015.

The witness, who made the revelation during cross-examination by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) lead counsel to Jang was once an Accountant-General during Jang and rose to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development in the state.

The case is that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Senator Jonah David Jang and the accountant in his office, Mr. Yusuf Gyang Pam.Davou said that the money in question was not pocketed by Jang as an individual.

According to Davou: “I did not say that the N2billion was borrowed by former Governor Jonah David Jang in his private capacity as governor of the state. I did not also say that Jang was a signatory to the Plateau State Project One Account.”

Another EFCC witness, Mr. Habila Dung, who could not complete his testimony before the case was adjourned on December 10, 2018 said that he had never witnessed the disbursement of monies termed as classified expenditure when Jang was the governor of the state.

He disclosed this when Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), counsel to EFCC led him in evidence-in-chief.

Dung, a retired Permanent Secretary, Cabinet and Special Services, had testified that Pam withdrew tens of millions of naira in a series of memos, bank mandates and statements tendered as evidence.He finished his evidence yesterday carefully led by Jacobs.

The Judge, Justice Daniel Longji, having listened to all the parties, adjourned the matter to today for continuation of hearing.

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