The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has announced that it will appeal a Plateau State High Court decision on Friday that discharged and acquitted a former governor of the state, Jonah Jang, and an ex-cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Yusuf Pam, of allegations of N6.3 billion fraud.
Wilson Uwujaren, the agency's Head of Media and Publicity, stated this in a statement posted on its verified Twitter handle.
The EFCC stated in a statement titled 'Alleged N6.3bn fraud: EFCC to appeal Jonah Jang, Pam's acquittal' that it had immediately initiated processes for an appeal.
Jang and Pam were released and acquitted on all 17 counts brought against them on Friday.
"The EFCC attention was drawn to the Friday, September 2, 2022 judgment of Justice C. L. Dabup of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos discharging and acquitting a former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang, and a former cashier in the OSSG, Yusuf Pam, of the 17 counts bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of Plateau State funds to the tune of N6.3 billion," according to the statement.
"The commission has immediately initiated the appeals process," the statement concluded.
Jang and Pam were charged with criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and conversion of public funds to personal use by the EFCC in 2018.
Rotimi Jacobs, counsel for the EFCC, claimed that while Jang was governor of Plateau State, he received a N2 billion loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the state but diverted the funds to another account, where they were misappropriated.
Jang was also accused by the anti-graft agency of using a portion of the allegedly misappropriated fund to repay a N250m personal loan obtained from a bank.
The EFCC also claimed that it discovered N10m in the personal account of the second accused person, which it claimed was part of the proceeds of the corrupt deals and that he withdrew in cash and gave to the former governor.
Jang and Pam, however, maintained their innocence and described the allegations as fabricated through their lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and Sunday Odeh.
Justice Christy Dabup dismissed the charges against the accused on Friday, stating that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jang expressed relief and felt vindicated in response to the decision.
He stated that the truth would always come out no matter how long it remained hidden, describing his trial experience as the prize of leadership.
"I hold no grudge against anyone," the former governor said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict.
"I consider whatever I have gone through as the price I had to pay for choosing the path of leadership. I thank God for bringing me through, and I urge all Plateau sons and daughters, as well as people of goodwill on the plateau, not to wish our leaders ill," he added.