N1.162bn alleged fraud: Court adjourns Dariye’s suit till March 2

Justice Adebukola Banjoko of FCT High Court, Gudu, on Wednesday adjourned till March 2, the N1.162 billion fraud suit filed against former Plateau governor, Chief Joshua Dariye by the EFCC.

Dariye is facing a 21-count charge bordering on breach of trust and diversion of N1.162 billion Plateau’s ecological fund.

The adjournment would provide the defendant time to enable him study a response to two motions he earlier filed.

The motion by the EFCC was served on him Feb.13.

The first motion filed by the defendant on Dec. 6, 2016, was for the prosecution to recall two of its witnesses which included PW1 and PW9, for the purpose of re-examination.

The prosecution witness (PW1) was the EFCC Investigation Police Officer (IPO), Mr Musa Sunday; the PW9 was the witness, from the United Kingdom, Mr Peter Clark.

The second motion which was filed on Dec.13, 2016, was seeking for the trial judge, Adebukola Banjoko to disqualify herself from further proceedings.

The motion also sought for the case to be transferred to the Chief Judge of the FCT for re-assignment to another court.

In the letter, addressed to the FCT Chief Judge, Dariye accused the judge of “manifest and undisguised bias,’’ among other accusations.