A Federal High Court in Gombe on Tuesday refused to quash charges of financial impropriety levelled against the former governor of Gombe state, Danjuma Goje by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court also fixed May 8, 2012 for the trial of the former governor who is currently a Senator in the National Assembly over an alleged fraud of N52 billion.

Mr Goje is facing an 18 count of conspiracy and money laundering along with Aliyu El-Nafarty (former Chairman, Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board), Sambo Mohammed Tumu (the ex- governor’s cousin and food supplier to Government House) and S.M. Dakoro, a businessman.

They were said to have conspired to defraud the state of about N25 billion which represented proceeds of illegal acts, contrary to and punishable under Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2011 as amended.

At the last sitting last December 9, the lawyer to the defendants, Adeniyi Akintola had argued that his clients had no case to answer, adding that the former governor, for instance, was given executive powers by the constitution to act executively, by fiat, even in the award of contracts or appropriation of funds without reporting to anybody.

Mr Akintola further said that the charge was based on anonymous but fictitious petitions which he referred to as ‘’beer parlour gossip.’’

However, the prosecuting counsel and lawyer to the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, urged the court to disregard the submissions by the defence counsel contending that the prosecution had enough evidence to prove its case against the accused persons.