By, Giwa Alex, JOS
A Federal High Court sitting in Jos plateau state Division has discharged and acquitted the Former governor of Gombe State and 3 others charged of money laundering on the 22nd March , 2019, Igbere TV reports.
Delivery the judgement which lasted for over an hour, Igbere Tv correspondent in Jos reports that Justice Musa Kurya , said the prosecution has failed to proof or link the 1st,2nd defendants directly or indirectly with the money laundering case.
The former governor of Gombe state,current serving Senator at the red chamber has in 2011 alongside former Executive Chairman, Gombe state, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Aliyu Ubandoma El-Nafaty, Food Supplier to Gombe state Government, Sabo Tumu, and Auctioneer, S.M Dokoro were alleged of money laundering, diversion and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N6.6 billion belonging to the Gombe state between 2007 to 2011.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), prosecuted Goje for misappropriating Gombe state N5 billion loan from Access Bank granted by the state House of Assembly for the completion of infrastructure in the state and another N1.4 billion contract for the supply of dictionaries to the primary and junior secondary schools in the state through the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB).
Delivering the judgement, Justice Babatunde Quadri, said based on the evidences provided in the court and the failure of the prosecution witnesses to link Goje to any misappropriation of funds or money laundry when he hold sway as governor of the state, the first, defendant Goje, alongside three others have been discharged.
Justice Quadri said he couldn’t find anywhere the first defendant err in law while discharging his legitimate duty as governor, hence the 19 charges leveled against him “Goje” lack ingredients looking at it from the point of law.
He further continued that my humble submission on this case is : “Charge 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 19 and 21 which bordered on diversion, laundering and misappropriation were not proven by the prosecutor beyond reasonable doubt as it lack ingredients which is the only basis to convict an accused. In this case,is grossly lacking he said.
Igbere Tv correspondent further reports that the Judge however ordered Goje as the 1st defendant and based on count charge 8 and 9 to enter witness box to defend on why he ordered the auctioning of 50 Toyota hiace vehicle to the 3rd defendant without recourse to due process.
Justice Quadri also said based on the evidence before the court, “Goje” the 1st defendant did not launder, diverted, misappropriated or awarded the contract of N1.6 billion contract for the supply of dictionaries to the primary and junior secondary schools in the state through the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB) without due process.
Today’s judgement may just be the end of more than five years of legal battle between Senator Danjuma Goje and 3 others against EFCC.
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