In 2001, he was not the Account Officer for Ebenezer Retnan Ventures and he did not receive the
Cheque from the Defendant nor knew how it was disbursed. From his experience, Exhibit P6, the
Cheque payable to Plateau State Government, was Public Funds, which ought to have been paid into
the Plateau State Government’s Account and noted that it was not wrong to clear this Cheque through
the Bank’s Sundry Account.
To his knowledge, the Defendant did not maintain a Domiciliary Account with the Bank, and when he
was in Abuja, he had sourced Foreign Currency in Cash in the range of 20, 000 to 40, 000 US Dollars
per Transaction for the Defendant. He was aware that the Defendant transferred Funds from Nigeria
to the United Kingdom through his Bank and that the Metropolitan Police had sought explanations
from the EFCC through his Bank regarding these Transfers.
There was no Re-Examination of this Witness. His further detailed evidence rendered during the Trial
would be situated where appropriate in the Court’s Analysis.
DW2, Honourable Geoffrey Teme, Former Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly in
2003, presently works with the Plateau State Government, as a Legislative Liaison Officer. He testified
that sometime in 2004, he and Twenty-Three Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly
honoured an invitation to the Chambers of the then Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, Senator Ibrahim Nasiru Mantu, at the National Assembly Abuja, who was of the same
Senatorial Zone as the Defendant.
At the Meeting, they were told to pass a Vote of No-Confidence on the Governor of Plateau State, Chief
Dariye based on the Governor’s inefficiency to perform as expected. Of the Twenty-Four Members
present, Senator Ibrahim Nasiru Mantu took Eight Principal Members of the House of Assembly to
meet with President Olusegun Obasanjo, where he reiterated his urgings for Dariye’s Impeachment
and sought for the President’s assurance on the matter. According to this Witness, the President told
them to do as suggested else they face the Government’s wrath.
After the Meeting with the President, they returned to the Chambers of the Deputy Senator and
informed their Colleagues on the outcome of the Meeting and agreed to deliberate on it. Whilst
deciding on what to do, they heard the announcement of the dissolution of the whole Political Party
Structure and the Declaration of a State of Emergency, where an Interim Government was formed.
This State of Emergency lasted for Six Months, and during that Period, some Members of the House of
Assembly approached General Yakubu Gowon, a Past President of Nigeria, and he assured them that
he would discuss with President Obasanjo. They were then called upon by the Director General of the
State Security Service (SSS) and briefed about a Petition from the EFCC against the Defendant. They
were subsequently reinstated and the Petition was forwarded to the House of Assembly through the
Speaker.
The House, in its deliberations discovered that Certain Papers were missing and the Clerk of the
House requested these Papers from the EFCC, which were subsequently forwarded. A Committee was
then set up consisting of Nine Members including himself and their purpose was to investigate the
Petition, which contained Allegations of Fraud against the Governor Joshua Dariye, Ebenezer Retnan
Ventures, Union Homes, PDP South-West and some others in regard to the Ecological Funds of
approximately N1.6Billion.
An Open-Door Policy wherein Members of the Public were allowed to present their Complaint was
adopted. Officials of the EFCC testified before the Committee and he sought to tender Two Volumes of
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