A witness of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) , Mr.Uchenna Igwe, on Tuesday told a Jos High Court that the disputed N2 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) fund, for which the commission had dragged the immediate past governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau North, Jonah Jang to court, was not at any point paid into senator’s account.
Igwe, a Senior Manager with Zenith Bank was the Branch Manager of the Bank’s No.5 Beach branch when the aforementioned money was paid.
He said that the money, though was meant to be paid into Plateau State
Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (PLASMEDA) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), it was paid into Plateau Project account.
While being cross-examined by the Defense Counsel, Robert Clarke (SAN), the bank official said, “When I noticed it, I immediately notified the state Commissioner of 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 person, Jonah Jang.
The Bank Manager also 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, 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 Account on the instruction of the State Governor, being the Chief Financial Officer of the state, even though there was a counter letter by the General Manager of PLASMEDA instructing the CBN to pay the N2 billion into PLASMEDA account.
Olaitan said the CBN had to write to the state government when its monitoring team observed that the N2 billion was not disbursed to the beneficiaries of the MSMEs scheme.
Twenty two communications between the CBN, Zenith Bank and the State Government were brought as exhibits to the court and the Judge admitted them in evidence and were marked exhibit P1 to P22.
Olaitan said though he was sure that the money was not disbursed for MSME purpose for which it was meant, he was not sure of what the state government diverted the fund for.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Daniel Longji, after listening to the witnesses, the prosecution and defense Counsels, described the court section as interesting, and adjourned to Wednesday for continuation of hearing on the matter.
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