N1.162bn Fraud: Judge Adjourns Dariye’s Case to March 2

Joshua Dariye

Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Gudu, has fixed March 2, 2017 for further proceedings in the trial of Joshua Dariye, a former governor of Plateau State. He is facing a N1.162 billion fraud charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice U.I. Bello had on January 23, 2017 thrown out Dariye’s letter seeking for transfer of his case to another judge, and ordered him to go and continue with the trial as his allegation of “manifest and undisguised bias” was baseless and unfounded.

The said letter dated December 13, 2016 had stalled the last sitting of January 18, 2017 prompting the trial judge to adjourn to February 15, 2017 pending the instruction of the CJ. Pwul had also brought before the court two motions, one which was dated December 6, 2016 asking for the “recall of some prosecution witnesses”, and the other dated December 13, 2016 asking the judge to disqualify his lordship from presiding over the case.

N1.2bn Fraud: Dariye’s Witness Tells Court, Ex-Gov Wrong to Divert Funds

A former Plateau State House of Assembly member, Geoffrey Teme, on June 27, 2016 told a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Gudu, Abuja, that it was wrong for Joshua Dariye, a former governor of the state, to divert the state’s ecological fund for personal gains.

Under cross-examination by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Teme, the second defence witness, admitted that “it was wrong for anybody to pay government money into his personal account”.

Anti-corruption coalition: Dariye, Ibori, 58 other Nigerians may lose UK assets

Fresh facts emerged yesterday that more than 60 top Nigerians may lose assets and cash laundered in the United Kingdom.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may soon submit a list of those convicted, under probe, the fleeing suspects and those watch-listed to the relevant agencies in the UK.

The UK was said to be in custody of over £40 million stolen funds recovered from some Nigerian government officials in 2008.

This is apart from about £22.5million recovered from the Island of Jersey. Of the cash, about £6.8million loot had been traced to ex-Governor James Ibori.