Currently the senator representing Plateau Central Senatorial District, Senator Dariye served as governor between May 1999 and May 2007 but was abruptly impeached in 2004 before he was reinstated. He was arrested in September 2004 in his Marriot Hotel room in London by the Metropolitan Police and amounts of money in different currencies totalling over £90,000 were recovered from him.
When interviewed at Marylebone Police Station in central London with his solicitor, Senator Dariye admitted ownership of several accounts as well as his failure to declare them in the assets declaration form he deposed to after assuming office as Plateau State governor. A total of about £300,000 belonging to the former governor was confiscated and paid into an interest yielding account operated by the Metropolitan Police, although he was not formally charged and has since returned to Nigeria, where he is now a serving senator.
Yesterday, however, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gudu, Abuja, that Senator Dariye, was still wanted in the UK for alleged money laundering. Senator Dariye is being prosecuted on 23 counts of money laundering and diversion of Plateau State’s N1.126bn (£3.93m) ecological funds while he was the state governor.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, the EFCC’s first prosecution witness, Sunday Musa, who is also an EFCC detective, said the London investigating police officer, Peter Clark, visited Nigeria in pursuant of the case against Senator Dariye. He alleged that the former governor, who is now a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, actually jumped bail.
Mr Musa said: “The defendant was granted police bail by the UK police and he jumped bail. The investigating police officer in London, Peter Clark, was in Nigeria in the course of our investigation.”
According to Mr Musa, investigations by EFCC operatives revealed that the former governor had, in 2001, applied for the funds in the name of his state. However, he added that Senator Dariye collected the money in person and lodged it with the Abuja Branch of the All States Trust Bank, which is now defunct.
He added that the bank manager, allegedly acting on Senator Dariye’s instructions, paid N100m in the name of the PDP South West, adding that the money was later traced to a company known as Marine Float Nigeria, allegedly owned by a former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, the witness confirmed that the decision by the EFCC to investigate Senator Dariye for alleged money laundering was informed by information provided by the London Metropolitan Police.
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