Posted by Niyi Adesina on
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday confirmed that Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State gave N100million out of the N1.16billion he allegedly looted from the state's treasury, to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday confirmed that Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State gave N100million out of the N1.16billion he allegedly looted from the state's treasury, to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West.
About N90million was, however, refunded by some chieftains of the PDP in the affected zone.
These facts are contained in a report to the Plateau State House of Assembly.
The House raised an eight-member panel on Tuesday to probe allegations of money laundering against Dariye.
The report laid to rest the controversy over the donation of the N100million to South-West PDP by the governor.
The former PDP National Vice-Chairman, South-West of the party, Chief Olabode George, had denied knowledge of the donation.
But in its report, the EFCC said, 'That the N100million paid to PDP South-West had also been traced and beneficiaries had returned N90million, leaving a balance of N10million expected to be refunded soon."
The commission was, however, silent on the list of the beneficiaries.
A source at the commission repeatedly said, 'The N100million was given to the leadership of the PDP in the South-West."
Apart from a refund by the unnamed PDP Chieftains, the report gave the details of how the governor looted and disbursed over N1.16billion.
The breakdown puts a lie to the claim by the Plateau House of Assembly that seven pages were missing from the report on Dariye's alleged sleaze, which was sent to it by the EFCC.
The Assembly had stayed action on Wednesday on the investigation of the allegations against Dariye because of the 'missing pages."
The Assembly did not say which pages were 'missing."
In the full report, obtained by our correspondents, the EFCC insisted that Dariye had a case to answer.
The highlights of its investigations into money laundering charges against Dariye are as follows:
That the Plateau State Government allocation from the Federation Account for July 2001 was cleared into a private company Account called Ebenezer Retnan Ventures' with Account Number 2502012136 in the private Banking Section of Allstates Trust Bank Plc.
That the signatories to the said Ebenezer Retnan Ventures' Account were found to be one Chief Joshua Dariye and Daniel Haruna. However, only Dariye with an assumed identity of Ebenezer Retnan operated the account and the identity of the second signatory Daniel Haruna has remained a mystery.
That the Central Bank cheque referred to in 1 above amounted to N1,161,162,900 only being allocation from the federation account received from CBN in July, 2001.
That the above State allocation was disbursed into the Ebenezer Retnan Ventures account with Allstates Trust Bank, on the written instruction of Dariye dated 19th July 2001 as follows:
a. Pinnacle Communication - 250,000,000, b. Plateau State Government - 550,000,000, c. Union Home - 80,000,000, d. PDP South-West - 100,000,000, e. Chief Joshua Dariye - 160,000,000, f. Chief Joshua Dariye - 16,000,000, g. C.O.T. - 4,300,000, Total N1,161,162,900.00.
That a Diamond Bank Cheque for N204million was cleared into Ebenezer Retnan Ventures account on the instruction of Dariye. The office of the Accountant General of Plateau State made this payment for undisclosed purpose.
It was also discovered that between December 11, 2001 and April 27, 2004 N31,700,000.00 was paid from the Plateau State government account called Account Payable maintained at Lion Bank Plc to Dariye's company at All States Trust Bank.
That the Allstates Trust Bank between 1999 and April 2004 had purchased foreign exchange components totalling about N147,584,890.00 only from the black market on the instructions of Ebenezer Retnan a.k.a. Chief Joshua Dariye.
That the Central Bank of Nigeria penalised Allstates Trust Bank with a fine of N2million. This amount was debited to Chief Joshua Dariye's company account - Ebenezer Retnan Ventures - maintained with the Bank on January 10, 2003. The reasons for debiting Dariye's account with a penalty levied by the Central Bank of Nigeria on Allstates Trust bank remain a mystery.
That investigation also revealed that the amount officially paid to Dariye, for his trips abroad from May 1999 till date amounted to N49,795,293.00.
That the revelation from the office of the Plateau State Accountant General indicates that N3million was actually paid as personal emoluments to Dariye from 1999 to April 2004.
That the N80million paid to Union Homes was an inducement given to a Federal Permanent Secretary in the Ecological fund office, Dr. Kingsley Nkumah, and his Deputy, Chief Adolf Enyioher. N61million out of this had been recovered by the commission with a balance of N19million expected to be recovered soon.
Investigations also revealed that the said Central Bank of Nigeria cheque in the sum of N1,161,162,900 only being the amount released to the Plateau State Government for flood canalisation works at Bokkos reclamation CTM Stadium and Bukuru abandoned mine ponds.
Investigations also revealed that the amount was released by the Federal Government of Nigeria from its approved Capital Budget through the Minister of Special Duties, National Committee on Ecological Problems in the Presidency.
The commission further notified the Assembly that Dariye did not cooperate with it during the investigation.
It added, 'You are kindly invited to note that investigations was not without its constraints mainly created by Dariye who is a principal suspect in this case of monumental corruption and money laundering of such international implications.
'You would note that written invitations, with several telephone calls by/through well meaning third parties inviting Dariye to come and state his position in this case met with outright refusal. The replies to our inquiries from governor and other officials to Plateau State Government are still being awaited.
'Additionally, please also note that in flagrant abuse of power and complete disregard to the rule of law/disobedience to lawful order duly issued by the Federal High Court in Kaduna before Justice Abdullahi Liman who issued several warrants against the under listed government officials but denied court process against such officials by Dariye. In fact creditable information indicated that at the heat of the case, Dariye."
It identified 11 public officials who collaborated with Dariye to divert the state's funds into his private account.
The officials are the former Accountant-General, Shem Yemte Damisa; Deputy Accountant General, Nuhu Ali Madaki; Director Main Account, Y.B. Reslang; a Commissioner, Silas Vongbut; Director Treasury, F.D. Bakfur and the Chief Accountant, Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Rose Wannang.
Others are M.D. Dalughut of the Plateau State Investment; A.D. Molwus; the Special Assistant to Dariye, Christabel Narin Bentu; Haruna Daniel and Daniel Dariye.
The commission said it met with the London Police on March 23, 2005 to 'harmonise the investigations and adopt a common front or identify likely offences/charges for successful prosecution of offenders."
THE PUNCH, Thursday, December 01, 2005