6.3bn fraud: Court rules on Jang September 2

6.3bn fraud: Court rules on Jang September 2

A Plateau State High court sitting in Jos has fixed September 2, 2022, to deliver its final judgment in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against a former governor of the state, Jonah Jang, over an alleged N6.3bn fraud.

A member of the ex-military officer’s defense team, Sunday Odey, confirmed the development to The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday.

Odey said, “We have confirmation from the court that Honourable Justice Christy Dabup has fixed Friday, September 2, 2022, for judgment in the case.

“We don’t have problem with the date because it is the prerogative of the judge to give a date to deliver her judgement whenever her lordship finishes writing her judgement.

“The lawyers and anyone else don’t have any role to play again after their final addresses which we have done. So, everything regarding the case is now in the hands of the judge and God.”

The PUNCH had reported that the anti-graft agency first arraigned Jang, who was the governor between 2007 and 2015 alongside a former cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the state government, Yusuf Pam, in March, 2018.

They were first arraigned before Justice Daniel Longji on a 17 -count charge for alleged misappropriation of N6.3bn belonging to the state government.

After hearing the matter for about two years, Justice Longji retired in 2019 stalling further hearing on the case.

However, the case started afresh in 2020 after the state Chief Judge assigned it to a new judge, Justice Christy Dabup.

Since then, the case had continued until the last hearing date on July 14, 2022 during which the prosecution counsel led by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, and the defense counsel led Mike Ozekhome, SAN, adopted their final written addresses.