The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, re-arraigned son of former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, Miracle, before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over his alleged involvement in money laundering. The defendant, who was alleged to have laundered funds to the tune of N1.5billion, pleaded not guilty to an amended 6-count charge the EFCC preferred against him.
He was docked alongside a hotel, Apartment le Paradis. Specifically, EFCC alleged that Dariye’s son, had sometime in 2013, failed to report a cash transaction to the tune of N1.5bn, which he received through the hotel’s bank account. According to the prosecution, the amount was above the threshold of N10m that is permissible by law. Besides, EFCC told the court that the hotel, which has the defendant as its Director, was not registered as Designated Non-Financial Institution, DNFI.
The defendant was said to had by his action, contravened section 5(1) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011, as amended and punishable under Section 5 (b) of the same Act. Meanwhile, shortly after the defendant took his plea, trial Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu allowed him to go home on his previous bail terms. The court had earlier granted him bail in the sum of N5m with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Ojukwu stressed that the sureties must not only be resident in Abuja, but must also provide evidence of their tax payments for 2015, 2016 and 2017. By concent of both the prosecuting counsel, Mr. George Adebola and the defence lawyer, Mr. Charles Abalaka, the court adjourned the case till April 27 and May 10 for trial.
One of the charges against the defendants, read: “That you, Nanle Miracle Dariye, while being a Director of Apartment le Paradis Limited and Apartment le Paradis Limited on 28th day of March 2013 in Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did commit an offence to wit: Failure to report within 7 (seven) days, a cash transaction in the sum of N551,555,428.50 (Five Hundred and Fifty One Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand Four Hundred and Twenty Eight Naira, Fifty Kobo) paid to Apartment le Paradis Limited BY BGL Securities Ltd vide your First Bank Plc Account No 2014165731 on 28th day of March 2013 which is above the threshold of N10,000,000 (Ten million Naira) and you hereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 10 (3) of the same Act”.