Former Governor Joshua Dariye To Face Trial Over Financial Crime

Senator Joshua Dariye the former Plateau State Governor to face trial following Supreme Court dismissal of an interlocutory appeal filed by him, challenging the corruption charges leveled against him since 2007 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Dariye was arraigned by the EFCC on July 13, 2007 on a 23-count charge bordering on money laundering and other corruption charges alleged to have belonged to the Plateau State Government.

Dariye argued that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case on the alleged offenses involving funds belonging to the Plateau State Government.

Unmeritorious Appeal

The former governor thus argued that he ought to have been tried in Jos and urged the court to quash the entire 23 counts against him.

However, the Supreme Court said Dariye’s appeal was “unmeritorious,” saying the Court of Appeal was right to have affirmed the ruling of the FCT High Court which had dismissed his notice of preliminary objection.

A five-man panel led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, said the scenario played out in the suit was ‎a “sad commentary on the country’s anti -graft war”.

The Judges then ordered Dariye to return to the FCT High Court in Gudu, Abuja, to face his trial.

The EFCC accused the former governor of diversion of about 1.2 billion Naira of the state’s ecological 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.