LP says Okupe has paid N13m fine after money laundering conviction

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

Following his conviction by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has announced that its embattled Director-General, Doyin Okupe, has paid a N13 million fine.

The PCC Media Officer, Diran Onifade disclosed this in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital ahead of the party’s rally in the state on Tuesday.

He claimed that because it upholds the law, its representatives will swiftly comply with court orders

However, Onifade noted that Okupe’s decision to appeal the ruling is a personal one, and the PCC has no power to sway it.

On Monday morning, Okupe was found guilty by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of receiving more than N200 million in cash from former National Security Advisor (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

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 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”.

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, 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.