Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) High Court in Gudu, on Tuesday sentenced former Governor of
Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, to 14 years imprisonment.
Justice Banjoko found the defendant guilty on 15 of
the 23 criminal charges leveled against him by the federal government.
The court found him guilty of criminal breach of
trust and sentenced him to 14 years jail term, while handing another two years
on each of the counts relating to criminal misappropriation.
The sentences which are without the option of fine
would run concurrently.
Dariye, becomes the second former governor to be
convicted and sentenced for embezzling state funds within the last few weeks.
Two weeks ago, the same Justice Banjoko had handed
down 14 years’ imprisonment sentence
without option of fine to former Taraba State Governor, Reverend Jolly Nyame,
after convicting him on corruption charges.
The court said the imposition of the maximum
sentence was to serve as deterrent to public office holders.
Delivering judgment in the N1.6billion fraud
charges brought against Dariye by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), the court found Dariye liable of
breach of trust and criminal misappropriation.
Dariye, who was governor of Plateau State between
1999 and 2007, was arraigned by the EFCC on a 23-count criminal charge of
diversion of ecological fund meant for the state.
According to the EFCC, the former governor diverted
the funds into the account of Ebenezer Ratnen Venture, which is alleged to be
one of the companies through which he allegedly siphoned the public funds.
The court in the judgment held that Dariye as a public
servant entrusted with and having dominion over N1.1billion ecological funds
for the state was guilty with the manner the cheque was cleared and disbursed
contrary to the real intent of the fund.
The judge in addition found him guilty of causing
his state a loss of over N600million out of the N1.6billion ecological fund.
The court found that only N550million out of the
N1.6billion was paid by Dariye to the state government. He was found to have
diverted N160million to Ebenezer Retina Ventures, a company owned by him.
While the court dismissed eight counts for want of
evidence, it found him guilty on 15 counts including Counts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7
among others.
Before his sentencing, his counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN)
pleaded with the court to be lenient with his client but counsel to the EFCC,
Rotimi Jacobs, urged the court to hand down the maximum punishment for the
crime so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
Dariye clad in white ‘Aagbada’ and white cap was
driven away in a Toyota Hilux vehicle with registration number HH 433 ABC,
Abuja, along with a retinue of security men to prison.
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