BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI
ABUJA—Three commissioners in the administration of former acting governor of Plateau State, Chief Michael Botman, and a lawmaker, were, yesterday, arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, sitting in Abuja.

The three commissioners, Sylvester Dasak, Syvanus Nemang, Diket Plueg and a former member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Joe Daman pleaded not guilty to the one count criminal charge, separately filed against them by the Federal Government.

They were alleged to have failed to declare their assets within 30 days and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(1) C of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 LFN 1990 as amended and punishable under section 23(2) of the said Act.

Though 13 accused principal officers of Plateau state were initially listed for arraignment yesterday, only the four appeared in court, a situation that led the 3-man panel of justices that presided over the matter yesterday, to threaten to issue warrant of arrest against them should they fail to appear in court on the next adjourned date, October 25.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel in the matter, Mr N. Audu Miri, yesterday informed the Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar that one of the accused person, Alhaji Umoru Mingwa, who was a former Commissioner for in the Ministry of Inter governmental affairs, Plateau state, has passed on.