Senator Dariye
EX-GOVERNOR, SENATOR DARIYE GOES TO PRISON, BAGS 14 YEARS JAIL TERM
Ex Governor, and a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Joshua Dariye on Tuesday, Was sentenced to 14 years in jail. This is coming barely two weeks after former Taraba State Governor Jolly Nyame was sentenced to prison without an option of fine.
After a judgment that lasted about eight hours, Justice Adebukola Banjoko found Dariye guilty on 13 count charge of criminal breach of trust while the judge imposed 14 years sentence on each of the count.
The court also found Dariye guilty on three count charge of misappropriation of public fund for which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each of the count. Justice Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had on May 28, sentenced ex-Governor Nyame to 14 years imprisonment while on Tuesday, found Dariye guilty on 15 counts out of 23 counts preferred against him.
Passing the sentences while delivering judgment in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Dariye, Justice Banjoko held that the sentences are to run concurrently, meaning Dariye will only spend 14 years behind the bar in Kuye prison. Justice Banjoko further ordered that the amount stated in counts 2, 7,8,and 12 including N176,862,900million paid to Ebenezer Retnan Ventures from the Ecological fund and N204million, among other sums paid to Ebenezer Retnan Ventures from the account of the Accountant General Plateau State be returned to the state. The judge noted the N100million paid to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South West which former President Olusegun Obasanjo promptly returned when the matter was brought to his notice. Justice Banjoko said she would not pronounce on N100million paid to Marine Float, a company owned by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar due to claim by the EFCC that investigation on the payment is ongoing.
The judge said, “I can’t imagine such brazen act, is it the transfer of as much as about half a billion naira from the state’s Ecological Fund into a personal venture account; there’s a litany and trail of woe, which also affects the people of Jos – the beautiful Tin City, where everybody wanted to be, and to find out that its Ecological Fund was misappropriated is the shocking aspect. “There’s a deep sense of irresponsibility; the defendant was in fact richer than his state. This is a trauma of the trial; and there should be no compromise to corruption, by whatever shade or colour, or region, rich or poor; corruption will forever be corruption.
“Every case is different on its own, and I have no personal animosity, I’m just doing my job the way I know how to, and not only the Ecological Funds (were misappropriated), but funds from the Plateau State government.”
SOURCE – DAILY TIMES
