Former Plateau Governor, Dariye Gets 14 Years In Prison Over N1.16bn Fraud

LAGOS JUNE 13TH NEWSRANGERS)-A Federal High Court sitting in Gudu area of Abuja, has sentenced a former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye, to 14 years’ imprisonment over charges ranging from criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of over N1.16bn, the sum belonging to the state.
Justice Adebukola Banjoko in over six hours judgement Tuesday convicted the ex-Governor on 15 out the 23 counts preferred against him.
She however dismissed eight of the 23 charges on the grounds of either duplicity or lack of sufficient evidence.
The judge sentenced ‎Dariye to two years imprisonment on each of the five counts bordering on criminal misappropriation and 14 years’ jail term on each of the 11 counts of criminal breach of trust.
Justice Banjoko however ruled that all the sentences would run concurrently, meaning that the convict would have to spend 14 years in jail.
The punishments imposed on the ex-governor for the two categories of offences of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation are the maximum as provided under sections 315 and 309 of the Penal Code Act, respectively.
‎The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had in opposing the defence lawyer’s plea for mercy, urged the court to impose the maximum sentence to serve as deterrent to others.
It would be recalled that Justice Banjoko barely a fortnight ago, slammed 14 years’ jail term on ex-Governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, on similar charges./Punch

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