TRACKING >>Former Plateau state government cashier, Yusuf Pam, has told a Jos High Court that all the statements he made against former Governor Jonah Jang to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were obtained under compulsion and duress.
Pam made the claim while testifying in a trial-within-trial.
Testifying under-cross examination to a claim by the EFCC that he (Pam) admitted in his written statements to being the one that paid monies into Jang’s Zenith Bank account, he said: “That information is not true.”
He claimed that the statements EFCC obtained from him were under compulsion and duress and not voluntary
“I never hid money for Gov. Jang throughout his eight year tenure,” Pam said while being led in evidence by his counsel, Sunday Oguntuyi.
Pam and Jang are standing trial in a 12-count brought against them by the EFCC bordering on alleged N6.3 billion money laundering charge.
“On January 16, 2017, l was threatened to either cooperate by writing whatever they asked me to write else I wouldn’t be given food or allowed to take my drugs because l am hypertensive and diabetic.
“At that point, l had to play along because they also threatened to dump me in their detention cell where I spent the night the very first day l reported at the EFCC office in Abuja.
“When they later allowed me to go back to Jos, l was asked to report every two weeks for a year and four months.
“They later changed it to once a month and on two occasions, l escaped two ghastly motor accidents.
“My lord, I was not answerable to the governor directly. I never hid money for him when he was governor because I was answerable to a permanent secretary, cabinet and special services who is the accounting officer in the office of the secretary to the state government.
“I tried to explain this to the EFCC official, Sunday Musa, who interrogated and obtained my statements. During the interrogation Musa gave me a slap and forced me to make statements the way he wanted it.
“My lord, all the statements I made to the EFCC in writing was dictated to me,” Pam alleged.
After listening to Pam’s testimonies, the Presiding Judge, Justice Daniel Longji adjourned the case until today for continuation of hearing.
