N6bn fraud: Court orders trial-within-trial in EFCC trial of Jang

The High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday, ordered a
trial-within-trial proceeding to confirm the veracity of the statement
the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC), obtained from a former cashier of the Plateau State
Government House, Yusuf Pam, facing charges of fraud of over N6
billion, if it was voluntarily given.
The presiding judge, Justice Daniel Longji, gave the order in his
judgment after the disclosure that ICPC operative’s coursed Pam to
make written statements during the investigation.
Pam is standing trial at the Plateau State High Court simultaneously
with former governor of the state, Senator David Jonah Jang, on a
12-count charge brought against them by the EFCC on alleged corruption
and misappropriation of state funds in the sum of over N6 billion.
The EFCC had alleged that Jang, Plateau State Governor between 2007
and 2015, misappropriated the fund about two months to the end of his
administration in 2015, among others. Both the former governor and the
cashier have since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed sitting of the court on Wednesday, the prosecutor,
Rotimi Jacobs SAN, called the 8th witness, Taiwo Olorunwoni, an
investigator with the ICPC, who testified before the court on how N2
billion belonging to the Plateau State medium and small scale
enterprise agency and another N3 billion of the state Universal Basic
Education Board were withdrawn by the cashier and taken to the former
governor.
Jacobs attempted to tender the written statement of Pam as evidence in
court, but the action was objected by the defence counsel, Mike
Ozekheme SAN, who argued that the statements were not voluntarily
obtained as confirmed by Pam who told the court that he was pressured
by the ICPC operatives to make the written statement.
After arguments, the prosecution and the defence counsel, agreed for
the court to proceed on trial within the trial of the matter to
ascertain if the commission voluntarily obtained the statements.
Justice Daniel Longji, therefore, adjourned the case for a
trial-within-trial to 25 and 26 April 2019.