By: Valentine Adese (JP),
A former Branch Manager of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Gideon K. Gomwalk has told the Plateau State High Court presided over by, Hon. Justice C. Dabub that Sen. Jonah Jang, was a credible customer, who never deposited any illegal money to the bank.
Mr. Gideon, who was testifying in the case of mismanagement of Plateau State funds brought by the Federal Government against Sen. Jang and One Yusuf Pam, (a former Cashier in the office of the state SSG) Wednesday, also disclosed to the court that, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), gave approval and clearance to the bank that, Sen. Jang was a credible person and never changed that position even after Sen. Jang, left office as governor.
Earlier, in his testimony during the Examination in Chief conducted by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the Counsel and Prosecutor of the EFCC, Mr. Gideon disclosed that the former governor was granted 3 loans during his stay as Relationship Manager and later manager of the FCMB branch at British-American Junction in Jos, Plateau state.
In part he said, “I am Gideon K. Gomwalk. I am an Entrepreneur.
“I know First City Monument Bank (FCMB). I worked there until about two years ago.
“Between 2012 and 2014, I was the Relationship Manager and later a Branch Manager. My schedule was to manage relationships in the branch.
“Within this period, the branch was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to provide certain documents related to Sen. Jonah Jang, the former governor of Plateau State. the account details was provided by our legal team in Abuja as at that time.
“The nature of the account was his personal from Savings, Salary, Loans, among other accounts.
“Exhibit P48 in my hand is the covering letter from our legal team submitting the Mandate of the 1st Defendant’s Account Statements and facility details attached.
“Within this period, 3 loans were taken by the 1st defendant. The first if N80 million dated 16th September, 2009. The second facility was for N100 million and it is dated 23rd May, 2012, while the third is dated 28th August 2014.
“The facilities were granted for the purpose of buying a house, to meet personal needs and obligations respectively, while the mode of repayment of these facilities were, salaries, emoluments, allowances through his accounts domiciled in our bank.
“The system of the bank deducts automatically as scheduled whether the funds were paid or not because, it is fully automated.
“However, the payment was disrupted periodically and when this happens, it causes delays in payments especially for the 2nd and 3rd facilities.
“When this happens, we reach out the 1st Defendant through his Personal Secretary to make sure the payments are made as scheduled.
‘Arrangements were usually made through his Personal Secretary Mrs. Ruth Bonga, to curtail the default and payments are made as and when due.
“After such meetings payments were usually lodged into his accounts. Abinitio, the Personal Secretary would make arrangements for these lodgments.
“Sometimes, available officers of the bank would go from our branch to receive the cash from the secretary from government house, signed for and lodgments made in the name of the 1st Defendant, Sen. Jonah Jang. I also went there personally, if no officer is available.
“The range of cash lodgments was always what was schedule and within N5million and the average is between N3million and N5million.
However, under Cross-Examination by, Edward Pwajok (SAN) Counsel for the 1st Defendant, Sen. Jonah Jang and S. A Oguntuyi (Esq) leading Frank Daniels (Esq) and other lawyers, for Mr. Yusuf Pam, the 2nd Defendant, Mr. Gideon in part said:-
“The 1st Defendant took the first loan in September 2019 and I was the relationship manager public sector.
“When the second transaction took place, I was then the branch Manager in 2012 at FCMB British American Branch Jos. I was the manager also, during the 3rd facility.
“I granted him 3 loans within this period (2009-2014).
“There were other steps taken by the bank before the loans were approved. He was treated as an Extremely Exposed Person and the number one in Plateau State.
“We therefore followed diligence when dealing with his requests. This includes EFCC’s clearances and other clearance procedures approved by the bank’s management.
“We found him to be credit worthy. This is because, he had a legitimate sources and means of repaying the loans as scheduled by the bank.
“The EFCC in their clearance checked the information concerning politically exposed people and provided the clearance.
“The EFCC, gave clearance for the first loan, which was N80 million and it was the most tedious.
“It is also correct to say the EFCC provided clearance for the other 2 loans.
“To the best of my knowledge, up to the 29th of May, 2015, when the 1st Defendant left office, the EFCC never issued any query on the credibility of Sen. Jang.
“I have earlier identified Exhibit P48 to be containing the financial transactions with FCMB and there is nothing in it that is suspicious, irregular or illegal from its details.
“You are right to say that, before I came to give evidence, the EFCC had interacted with me with respect to the account details.
“You are also right to say that, they had confronted me with this document before my coming to court. I cannot recall my interactions, but I made my statement detailed statement to the EFCC.
“A politically exposed person is somebody the bank officials are very sensitive with because, it can delve tail into public issue(s). Hence, care and caution with more details are basic requirements.
“Before giving or granting facilities, there are certain clearances that the bank needs to obtain.
It also means that, only legal transactions are carried out with such person(s).
“So, to the best of my knowledge, the transactions in Exhibit P48 including the inflows and outflows were legitimate.
“As at this time, all the loans have been paid off. The last one was paid off, 6 to 8 months ago after the 1st Defendant had left office as governor.
“The cash payments were not outside the loan repayment agreement.
“I remember I had told the court that the loan is tied to the 1st Defendant’s salary, emolument, and allowances, among others and I know that, after leaving office, he became a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but he continued servicing his loans.
“I don’t know the 2nd Defendant, Mr. Yusuf Pam and I was never asked of him by the EFCC of any repayments into the 1st Defendants account. The fact is that, the 2nd defendant never paid money into Sen. Jang’s account.
“The 1st Defendant faulted in the repayment of his loan, as and when due. There are two issues around that and these related to his salary and allowances not coming as and when due.
“I have no knowledge that the 1st Defendant deposited illegal money in the bank as the bank’s relationship manager or branch manager”.
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