A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gudu, Abuja has found a former Governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye guilty of misappropriating a sum of N1.16 billion Ecological Fund meant for the state and subsequently jailed him for fourteen years.
In a lengthy judgement that lasted hours on Tuesday, Justice Adebukola Banjoko ruled that Dariye was guilty of fifteen out of the twenty-three count charges proffered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after ten years of trial. She subsequently sentenced him without an option of fine. He is to serve his terms concurrently
The court found out that only N550million out of N1.16 billion Ecological Fund belonging to Plateau State was paid by Dariye to the Plateau State Government. He was found to have diverted a sum of N660 million to Ebenezer Ratnen Ventures, a company owned by him.
Justice Banjoko who faulted the manner through which the cheque was cleared and disbursed contrary to the real intent of the Ecological Funds therefore found the former Governor guilty of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds belonging to the state.
Dariye who served as Governor of Plateau State from 1999-2007, was dragged before the court by the EFCC on July 13, 2007 on allegations bordering on laundering of funds belonging to Plateau state and other corruption charges
