Alex Enumah in Abuja
The federal government on Tuesday re-arraigned Nanle Dariye, son of former Plateau State Governor, Senator Joshua Dariye, before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed a six-count amended charge of money laundering to the tune of N1.5bn against the son of the former governor.
When the matter was called, the prosecuting counsel, Mr .George Adebola, had informed the trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, that the matter was for re-arraignment of the defendant.
He therefore prayed the court that the charge be read to the defendant for him to take his plea.
The defendant however, pleaded not guilty to the charges read against him.
Subsequently, Justice Ojukwu adjourned to April 27 for commencement of the trial.
The EFCC had first arraigned Nanle Dariye  on February 27 on the same charges alongside, ‘Apartment le Paradis’, a hotel where he was a director.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendant sometime in 2013 failed to report a cash transaction to the tune of N1.5bn which he received through the hotel’s account in one of the old generation banks.
According to the commission, the amount was above the threshold of the N10million  permissible by law and that the hotel was also not registered as Designated Non-Financial Institution (DNFI).
The agency said the offence contravened Section 5(1) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 5 (b) of the same Act.
However, following his earlier not guilty plea, he was  admitted to bail in the sum of N5m  with two sureties in like sum.
