By,Giwa Alex, Jos.
Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau State High Court(5) sitting in Jos the State capital has denies the former Governor of Plateau State and serving senator of the federal republic of Nigeria Dr David Jonah Jang bail.
The senator is standing trial on 12 count charges for an alleged money laundering by Economic and Financial Crime Commission amounting to 2billion naira sure-p funds.
“Longji said his hands are tied not knowing what to do in the matter under the present circumstances, but the law must have to be adhered to without biased.”
“As against this backdrop ,the court is left with no option than to remind the accused persons in prison until the next adjourned date 24th May,2018 for continuation for argument on the bail application.”
Senator Jang who is facing 12 count charges bordering on money laundering, the alleged offence he is said to have been committed when he held sway as the Governor of Plateau State from 2007-2015 ,was brought to court wearing white Babariga and Blue native cap to march, accompanied closely by Economic and Financial Crime Commission official and one warder.
When the 12 charges were read out to the two accused persons Jonah David Jang and one Yusuf Jang Pam a clerk in the office of the Secretary to the state government the period under review, they pleaded not guilty to the whole charges.
The counsel to the accused persons Robert Clarke (SAN),told the the court that they had applied for bail application since 14th May,2018,as against the backdrop, appealed the court to grant the accused persons bail on self recognition,that Under the Nigeria Constitution, an accused person or persons is assumed innocent until proven otherwise by competent court.
Robert Clarke stressed that the accused are well known persons who if granted bail will not abuse it.
“My Lord aside the accused person being one time sole administrator, he was also two terms Governor of his State and current serving senator of federal republic of Nigeria”.
The counsel to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission ( EFCC) Rotimi Jacob(SAN) argued that be a sitting Senator of federal republic of Nigeria, sole administrator and immediate past Governor of a state should not be a yardstick for granting bail on self recognition for the accused persons but the gravity of their offences.
” There are some person or persons at the slums of Angwan- Rogo,Jenta Adamu, just to mention but two,who were accused of committed minor offence of stealing fowl, no bail was granted to them “.
Rotimi stressed that ” here is a past leader alleged to have misappropriate the state funds running Into Billions of naira, the money that should have been used to better the live of common man on the street.”
After hot argument on the bail application by the accused counsel the presiding Judge,Justice Daniel Longji ordered that the accused persons should be reminded in prison and adjourned the case to 24th May,2018 for continuation on argument for bail application.
Earlier the counsel to ICPC,moved a motion to withdraw the charges against the accused. Moving the motion, the counsel to ICPC ,Adeshina Raheen said the withdrawal is predicated on the premise that similar suit against the same accused is already before the same court and to avoid abuse of court process.
