The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, presided by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, on Monday found the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Senior Special Adviser (SSA), Dr Doyin Okupe guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki.
The judge sentenced Okupe who is the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Labour Party, to two years in prison for breaching the money laundering Act.
According to Justice Ojukwu the action of Okupe, the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), violated the Money Laundering Act.
The court explained 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
justice Ojukwu, therefore, held that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution”.
She stated that the NSA was not a financial institution, stressing 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 the money laundering.
Justice Ojukwu, therefore found the first defendant, Dr Doyin Okupe, guilty in count 34, 35, 36…… 59 preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge discharged and acquitted him of counts 1 to 33 which involved corruption.
However, the judge delivered the sentence with a option of fine of N500,000 to each of 26 counts of which he was found guilty.
The sentences passed on him are to run concurrently.
The trial judge held that while the court would not make an order to commit him to prison because of the clause of the fine option, he must pay the fine before 4pm on Monday.
