Justice Silas Bakur of the High Court sitting in Langtang North, Plateau State on Friday dismissed a suit brought before it by First Lowland Micro Finance Bank leveling allegations of financial irregularities against the Plateau State Commissioner for sSpecial Duties, Hon. Hitla Dadi.
The Management of the the bank had claimed that Dadi, while serving as the Chairman of Langtang South Local Government Area took several loans from the bank and refused to repay.
According to the Bank, the money collected rose to the tune of N1,740.100, the circumstances that compelled the management to approach the court through its counsel, S. A. Abbah, for intervention.
The case has passed through two judges before Justice Bakur finally laid the matter to rest by delivering a ruling acknowledged as well thought out by counsels to both the plaintiff and defendant.
According to the Judge, both parties were allowed to file in their line of arguments through their counsels after which witnesses were taken and the court proceeded and entertained cross-examination of evidences.
He said one of the Bank’s witnesses, Geoffrey Ramapr, told the court that the document tendered before it showed that the transactions in question were actually carried out by Dadi but failed to substantiate it with proof and that on the withdrawal slip of the bank, there is no signature of Dadi on it, rather it was only R. T. Dashe’s signature that appeared on it.
Bakur said the court found out that on evaluation of the matter, it considered that the bank compromised ethical standard of banking transactions and that the bank failed to prove beyond doubt that it gave Dadi N610,000 in addition to the previous N300,000 he took as loan from the bank.
And having not joined R.T. Dashe in the suit for single handedly processing the claimed N610,000, the bank should go and look for it somewhere else.
He concluded that based on the thorough scrutiny of the matter, the court discovered that Dadi has paid back the N300,000 he collected and what is left unpaid is the balance of aN100,000 and 10 per cent interest rate that started counting on the date the judgement is entered.
Bakur thus ruled that the case lacks basis and dismissed it.
Responding on the ruling, counsel to then plaintiff, Idowu Akinmade, who stood in for the lead counsel, S.A. Abbah, expressed gratitude for the judgement, but said they will study the judgement and know the next line of action.
On his part, Counsel to Dadi, B. Samchi, said the judgement is victory for the judiciary and the state at large, adding that his client is an elder statesman and would not file any claim or cost of damage on the bank.
He also commended the press for demonstrating enthusiasm in following up the case from the beginning to the judgement day.
He appealed to business managers to always seek for goodwill rather than looking for flimsy issues to tarnish the images of customers.
He said the N100,000.00 mentioned to be the outstanding balance was cleared before now through the plaintiff’s lawyer, adding that the sum of N150,000 was paid into his account, making it N50,000 in excess.
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