BREAKING: Court Convicts Okupe Of Money Laundering

A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Doyin Okupe over money laundering. 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of N702 million.

In a judgment on Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found Okupe guilty of contravening sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act, for accepting cash payments without going through financial institution, in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act.

According to Justice Ojukwu, the NSA is not a financial institution, adding that even if the president was said to have authorized the funds, he did not say that the money must be paid in cash in violation of money laundering.

Consequently, the court held that the first defendant, Dr Okupe was guilty in counts 34, 35, 36, and 59.

The Judge, however, found the defendants not guilty in counts 1 to 33 on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish the charge of money laundering and criminal breach of trust and corruption against the NSA.

In counts 34 to 59 upon which Okupe was convicted, he was accused of receiving various sums ranging from N10 million on different occasions from 2012 to 2015 when he was SSA to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The said sum, according to him, was expended on running the office, payment of staff, and image laundering of the former president and his administration.

But the court held that receiving such amounts in cash violated the Money Laundering Act.