Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has found former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) in the Jonathan administration, Doyin Okupe, guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki.
The court sentenced the former Aide to 2 years imprisonment with an option of N13million fine.
The money laundering prohibition act 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 held that “there is no evidence that the money received by Mr Okupe passed through any financial institution”.
She also noted that the NSA was not a financial institution, and 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 act.
The court found the first defendant, Doyin Okupe guilty in count 34, 35, 36 to 59.
The defendant was found 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 Mr 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 Jonathan.
The said sum, according to him, were 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.
Shortly after his conviction, his lawyer Francis Oronsaye, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy on the grounds that the defendant was a first time offender, a family man who is also advanced in age, with health challenges he is currently treating in Nigeria and outside the country.
Mr Oronsaye, citing Section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, urged the court to stand down the matter to enable him call witnesses that will attest to the good character of Mr Okupe.
The court heard from a witness whopleaded with the court for leniency.
Justice Ojukwu subsequently sentenced Doyin Okupe to 2 years imprisonment on count 34 with an option of a fine of N500,000
The court also sentenced him to 2 years imprisonment on counts 35 to 59 with an option fine of N500,000.
The option of fine is to run consecutively on each count while the sentence is to run concurrently
The sentence is to run from the day of delivering the judgment
The court noted that it refrains from making any custodial order, but the convict is the property of the state.
Mr Okupe is currently the director general of the Labour Party campaign council, although he was expelled by the state chapter for allegedly not paying membership fees, high-handedness and financial recklessness.
He was however reinstated by the National secretary of the party.
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