Dr. Doyin Okupe.
The Federal High Court, Abuja presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu has sentenced the director-general of Peter Obi's presidential campaign, Doyin Okupe, to two years in prison for accepting cash transactions above the N5m approved under the Money Laundering Act.
Justice Ojukwu on Monday ruled that Dr. Okupe who was a Senior Special Adviser (SSA)to former President Goodluck Jonathan is guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki in violation of the Money Laundering Act which stipulates that no individual or organization shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without passing through a financial institution.
The judge held that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution."
Justice Ojukwu noted that the NSA was not a financial institution, adding that even if the President authorized the funds, he did not say that the payment must be made in cash in breach of the money laundering Act.
Consequently, the court held, “I find the first defendant, Dr. Doyin Okupe guilty in counts 34, 35, 36…… 59.”
However, the court gave an option of an N500,000 fine which should be paid before 4.30 pm on Monday.
Justice Ojukwu handed down the sentence after hearing testimony about Okupe's good character from witnesses including the former Anambra Governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Mohammed Idi-Farouk, Okupe’s wife and son.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Okupe together with two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.
Politics and Opinion
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