Peter Obi Ally, Doyin Okupe Convicted For Money Laundering

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

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 Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.

According to the ruling, Okupe, the first defendant in the lawsuit brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), breached the Money Laundering Act with his actions.

While stating that the Act provides that no individual or organisation 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”.

According to Justice Ojukwu, the NSA is not a financial institution, adding that even if the president was said to have authorised 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, 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 court sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment on count 34 with an option of a fine.