A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court was informed
yesterday how, former governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye
collected N1.2 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and did not
deposit same into any account of the state government.
A prosecution witness and detective from the Economic Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) Musa Sunday disclosed this yesterday when Dariye’s
trial resumed after almost nine years.
Dariye was arraigned 2007 for various offences bordering
on money laundering, abuse of office and corruption. He pleaded not guilty to all the 23 count
charge preferred against him but filed interlocutory appeals to scuttle his
trial.
Dariye was then the governor of Plateau State when the
offence was allegedly committed.
Before the case started yesterday, the trial Judge,
Justice Adebukola Banjoko warned all parties that her court would not tolerate
any application for frivolous adjournment.
In his evidence in chief, detective Musa Sunday, who was
led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court there was a request from the UK
Metropolitan Police which was referred to the Attorney General of the
Federation with a petition to the EFCC.
The detective said the names of some banks were mentioned
on the petition.
The letter of request from UK Metropolitan Police and
that from Attorney General of the Federation’s office were sent to EFCC under
its former chairman Nuhu Ribadu.
According to him, as the team received the letter, they
moved on the request to the mentioned banks. “First we went to All States Trust
bank where we met the manager who made the account available to us and we also
collected the mandate card for the account which was opened in the name of
Haruna Dariye as signatory to the account.
“The signature on the mandate was signed by the accused
Senator Dariye. An officer in charge of the account was arrested by EFCC to
assist the commission identify “Haruna Dariye.”’
According to him, “The circumstance in which the said
account was opened in All States Trust Bank was suspicious because there was no
picture in the mandate card. We confirmed that waivers were given to Dariye not
to use his passport photograph.”
Meanwhile the matter continues today.
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