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Court remands ex-Plateau gov, Jang, over N6.3bn fraud

 

A Plateau high court has remanded a former governor of the state and senator representing Plateau North senatorial district, Jonah Jang, in prison over alleged N6.3 billion fraud.

Jang, who has been in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), since May 7, was arraigned before the court on Wednesday.

He was accused of misappropriating N6.3 billion while serving as the governor of Plateau State.

Jang was arraigned alongside a former government official in the state, Yusuf Pam, on a 12-count charge bothering on diversion of public funds.

The duo pleaded not guilty to the offence, after which their counsel, Robert Clark, filed an application for their bail.

In particular, he urged the court to grant the ex-governor bail on self recognition, a plea which the prosecuting counsel opposed.

The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacob, urged the court to rather consider the seriousness and the weight of the punishment.

“Any offence that exceeds three years should not be treated as ordinary and presumable for bail,” he said.

Thereafter, the presiding judge, Daniel Longji, said he would need time to analyse the arguments presented by the two parties regarding the bail application.

He therefore ordered that the two accused be reminded in prison till the adjourned date of May 24 for ruling on the bail application.

“There is a situation here where the Law becomes an axe. I have not studied the charges and I cannot use my personal knowledge of the accused persons to ask him to go on bail. They should be remanded in prison pending the ruling on his bail on Thursday next week,” he said.

The court had earlier struck our corruption charges filed against the senator by the Independent Corruption Practice and other related offensive Commission (ICPC) on the request of the commission.

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