From: Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
A Federal High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, has rejected a report of the state’s House of Assembly which accused the Chairman, Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, Murtala Adamu Jangebe, of misappropriating N1.063b in 2013.
Justice Zainab Abubakar gave the pronunciation while giving judgment on a 10-count charges of corruption and money laundering instituted against Jangebe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It would be recalled that the Assembly had in 2013, ordered the SUBEB chairman to refund the sum of N747.2million to the board’s accounts.
According to the report presented to the House by a special committee set up to investigate the operation and financial activities of SUBEB said the amount was allegedly misappropriated from board’s account by the chairman.
The EFCC official witness who investigated the case deposed before the Court that, in his investigation, he could not find where such money was misappropriated by Mr. Jangebe.
The EFCC operative also accepted that the SUBEC boss was not given fair hearing by the Zamfara State House Assembly when it carried out its investigation.
In her judgment, Justice Zainab Abubakar discharged and acquitted the defendant on the 10-count corruption charge leveled against him, citing that some changes were null and void while others lack of evidence beyond reasonable doubts for criminal prosecution.