The court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reduced the jail term of Sen. Joshua Dariye, former Plateau state governor from 14 years to 10 years.

The judgment was passed on Friday, 16 November, 2018 where the court held that the maximum sentence of 14 years for the counts was excessive since Dariye is a first-time offender.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Stephen Adah who read the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel also quashed the sentence in count 12.
The panel affirmed that, the lower court which had earlier found Dariye not guilty for the charge should not have sentenced him on the charge.

The court also quashed count 23 because the persecution did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the former governor diverted the funds of the state to purchase a house in London.
Consequently, the court reduced the sentences to 10 years for each count which is to run concurrently.

Sen Dariye has earlier been sentenced to 14 years in prison by Justice Adebukola Banjoko on charges bordering on criminal breach of trust and criminal appropriation of the state’s funds running to over N2billion

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Joshua Dariye: Appeal Court Reduces Jail Term