Joshua Dariye begged for mercy before being sentenced telling EFCC counsel to act like a Christian

FORMER Plateau State governor Senator Joshua Dariye pleaded for a light sentence before being a federal high court in Abuja yesterday just before being sentenced to 14 years imprisonment after being found guilty of corruption and embezzlement.

 

Senator Dariye, 60, was found guilty of 14 counts out of 23 charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Subsequently, A Federal Capital Territory high court in Gudu, Abuja, found him guilty of misappropriating N1.16bn ($3.2m) from an Ecological Fund meant for the state.

 

Justice Adebukola Banjoko also found Senator Dariye guilty of a criminal breach of trust as regards N250m issued to Pinnacle Communications emanating from the state’s Ecological Fund. However, before Justice Banjoko gave her ruling, Paul Eroko, counsel to Senator Dariye, pleaded for a light sentence.

 

Mr Eroko said: “Appeals to your judgement do not succeed, we will fall on your mercy as the prisons are congested.  They misled the governor, it is the bank, they said he didn’t have to present anything.”

 

However, Rotimi Jacobs, the EFCC counsel said Senator Dariye did not deserve a light sentence because he did not show remorse. He asked the court not to give Senator Dariye a light sentence in order to serve as a deterrence to those holding public offices.

 

At this point, Senator Dariye said he wanted to speak and when he did, he too pleaded for clemency. Senator Dariye said: “Have mercy, you are a Christian, your name is Jacob.”

 

All pleas, however, fell on deaf ears as the senator was sent to jail for 14 years. This latest ruling came three weeks after the conviction of former Taraba State governor, Jolly Nyame who was also jailed for fraud.

 

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