Doyin Okupe
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday convicted Doyin Okupe, the former Senior Special Assistant on Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, of breaching the Money Laundering Act.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Okupe in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.
He was arraigned before Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Ojukwu held that the action of Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) violated the Money Laundering Act.
While stating that the Act provides 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”.
The Court also sentenced him to two years imprisonment on counts 35 to 59 with an option fine of N500,000.
The option of fine is to run consecutively on each count while the sentence is to run concurrently. The sentence to run from the day of delivering the judgment
The Judge also gave Okupe till 4:30pm before being taken into custody. Okupe was found guilty of the charges on counts 34 to 59.
