Okupe To Serve 2yrs In Prison Or Pay N13m Fine In Conviction For Corruption

Okupe To Choose Either 2yrs Imprionsment Or Pay N13m Fine In Conviction Corruption

Doyin Okupe, the Director General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council has been convicted of corruption.

His conviction for breaching the money laundering act was made by a Federal High Court in Abuja today, Monday, December 19, 2022.

The court sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment with an option to pay a N500,000 fine on each of the 26 counts he was found guilty of (N13million).

The court found Okupe guilty of 26 out of a 59-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Presiding Judge Ijeoma Ojukwu disclosed that the sentence will run concurrently.

The case against Okupe was instituted by the EFCC in 2019 and the former Presidential spokesperson was arraigned on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million along with two firms – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.

Okupe was found guilty of receiving cash from the office of the national security adviser (NSA) while Sambo Dasuki, the NSA at the time, was in office in contravention of sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act by accepting cash payments in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act, without going through a financial institution.

The court cleared Okupe on counts one to 33 on the premise that the prosecution could not establish the accusation of money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and corruption against the NSA.