Court finds Doyin Okupe guilty of money laundering

Mr Okupe was found guilty of accepting a N200 million cash bribe from former NSA Sambo Dasuki, meant to purchase weapons to combat the Boko Haram insurgency.

ADEFEMOLA AKINTADE and Victor Olorunfemi • December 19, 2022

Doyin Okupe

Doyin Okupe, the director-general of the Peter Obi presidential campaign, has been convicted by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for money laundering.

Mr Okupe had been charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since 2019 on a 59-count charge of alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million naira.

The former Senior Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan was arraigned alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.

Delivering judgement, the court found Mr Okupe guilty of accepting N200 million cash bribe from a former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki, said to have been funds earmarked for the purchase of weapons to combat the Boko Haram insurgency.

Although Mr Okupe said the money was intended to pay employees and do damage control for former president Goodluck Jonathan, whom he worked for as a senior special adviser, Justice Ijeoma Ojuwku maintained the funds did not go through the proper channel.

In her ruling, Ms Ojukwu said that the Money Laundering Act states that no person or organisation shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without it going through a financial institution.

She added that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution”.

Mr Okupe served as the director-General of the Peter Obi presidential campaign council until he was expelled earlier this month for allegedly embezzling party funds.

Mr Okupe wasn’t found guilty by the Judge on counts 1 to 33 on the basis that the EFCC failed to establish the offence of Money Laundering and criminal breach of trust and corruption against the NSA.

He was, however, found guilty and convicted of counts 34 to 59 for receiving sums of money to the tune of N10 million on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2015 when he was serving in the government.

Following the pronouncement of the verdict, Mr Okupe’s lawyer, Francis Oronsaye, pleaded with the judge for lighter sentences, citing that the Ogun-born politician is a first time offender and on health related grounds.

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