The witness of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Mr. Uchenna Igwe has told Jos High Court 5 presided over by Justice Daniel Longji that the disputed N2 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) fund, which had made the Commission to drag Senator Jonah Jang to court, was not at any point paid into the Senator’s personal account. Ex Gov Jonah Jang of Plateau
The witness, a Senior Manager with Zenith Bank Plc was the Branch Manager of the Beach Road branch of the bank when the said money was paid. He said that the money, which was meant to be paid into Plate
While being cross-examined by the Defense Counsel, Mr. Robert Clarke, Igwe said, “When I noticed it, I immediately notified the State Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General. An instruction was raised by the Accountant General to move it into PLASMEDA account, and I complied on the 20th of March, 2015.
“Another instruction came from the same Accountant General to the effect that the money be moved back to Plateau Project account on the 24th of March, 2015, and that was done.”
He said that thereafter, the money was disbursed in tranches into various accounts including state’s Central Salary Account, Office of the Secretary to the State Government (OSSG), Government House Administrative account, and Plateau State House of Assembly Account, noting that no money was paid into the personal account of the 1st Accused, Jonah David Jang.
He further disclosed that before the N2 billion was paid into the Plateau Project Account, the balance in the account was N839,398,474.39, adding that with the N2 billion, the account balance was raised to N2,839,398,474.39.
Speaking earlier, another EFCC witness, Dr. Mudashiru Olaitan, Director, Development Finance Department with the CBN presented by the EFCC Counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) said two accounts were provided to the CBN; Plateau State Project Account and PLASMEDA account, but added that it chose to pay into Plateau State Project.