The trial of a former Governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang, accused of misappropriating state funds to the tune of N6.3billion has been adjourned to October 30, 2018.
Jang, a serving senator, is standing trial before Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on a 12-count charge of abuse of office and misappropriation of funds preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He is being prosecuted alongside a cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Yusuf Gyang Pam, who was also accused of using his office for personal enrichment to the tune of N11.5million.
Specifically, Jang allegedly embezzled some special funds released to the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, for disbursement to Small and Medium Enterprises in the State under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Funds, MSMEDF, two months to the end of his tenure as governor in 2015.
The matter which was slated for trial today, July 17, could however not go on as the prosecution’s witnesses were unavoidably absent in court.
When the matter was called, Henry Ejiga, who stood in for Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, counsel to the EFCC, told the court that the prosecution had challenges in bringing the witnesses to court due to the security concerns in the state.
He asked the court for an adjournment, while hoping that peace would have been fully restored in the state.
It would be recalled that on June 23, 2018 crisis broke out in city that led to the loss of many lives, destruction of properties and disruption of peace and order in the state.
Jang’s counsel, Robert Clarke, SAN, opposed the application arguing that it was a ploy to delay trial.
However, Justice Longji granted the prosecution’s prayer and adjourned for commencement of trial.
