Court Orders Trial-Within-Trial In Jang’s N6.3bn Corruption Case

Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau state High Court sitting in Jos on Wednesday ordered a trial-within-trial in N6.3 billion corruption case against former Plateau state governor, 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.

Justice Longji said the trial within trial was necessary to establish the fact of the purported statement written by the 2nd defendant – Yusuf Pam – to be tendered before the court by a witness, Mr Taiwo Olorunyomi who serves as an Investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, (ICPC).

It will be recalled the duo were standing trial before Justice Longji on a 12-count charge bordering on diversion and misappropriation of N6.3 billion while in office.

During the sitting on Tuesday, Mr 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The statement has shown that N2 billion MSME was taken to Jang when withdrawn in cash by the 2nd defendant from Plateau state project account as Classified Expenditure.

But Pam’s counsel, Sunny Odey objected the tendering of the statement by the EFCC’s witness, Mr Olorunyomi, alleging that his client wrote the statement under duress.

The statement was given to Pam to confirm or deny the authenticity of statement and he said, “It is my statement, but I wrote it under duress, I was threatened.”

Mr Sunny Odey 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 to 25th and 26th April, 2019 for trial within trial.