Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted former Senior Special Assistant on Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, for breaching the Money Laundering Act.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Okupe in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.
Okupe is currently the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Labour Party (LP).
He was arraigned alongside two companies – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd.
According to the prosecution, Okupe received cash from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) while Sambo Dasuki was in office.
In a ruling on Monday, the presiding judge found the defendant guilty contravening sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act and accepting cash in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act without going through a financial institution.
Justice Ojukwu held that while the EFCC successfully established its case against Okupe, it stood the matter down to enable the defendant to enter his plea of allocutus (clemency) as provided for in section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.
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