The Supreme Court has upheld the 10 years prison term imposed on former Plateau Governor, Joshua Dariye who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on the charges of fraud.
Recall that, a three man panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, led by Justice Stephen Adah, in its decision, on November 16, 5018 upheld the judgement by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), delivered on Juney12, 2018.
Dariye was convicted and sentenced for diverting public funds estimated at N1.162 billion while he was the Governor.
However, dissatisfied by the Appellate Court's ruling he appealed to the Supreme Court.
In an unanimous judgement on Friday, March 12, 2020, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Mary Odili, upheld Dariye's concurrent conviction and sentence by the trial court and the Court of Appeal on the offence of criminal breach of trust.
However, the Apex Court overturned his conviction and sentence in relation to the offence of criminal misappropriation by the Court of Appeal.
Justice Banjoko had originally sentenced Dariye to 14 years in prison but upon appeal, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on November 16, 2018, commuted the 14 years jail term to 10 years.
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