A former senior special adviser (SSA) to Nigeria’s ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has brought evidence of payment of the sum of ₦13 million for the 52-year jail term he bagged on Monday for ₦240 million money laundering offence.
Africa Today New York reports that the Justice Ijeoma Ojuwku of the Federal High Court, Abuja had in her judgment found Okupe guilty in 26 out of the 59 counts preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ojukwu ordered that the 26 counts, which attracted two-year jail terms each, would run concurrently, meaning, the convict would only spend two years in prison.
The judge gave an option of ₦500,000 in each of the counts, amounting to ₦13 million, which must be paid before 4:30pm today.
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She ordered that if Okupe failed to meet the option of fine within the time frame, he should be taken to Kuje Correctional Centre to serve his prison term.
Okupe was found guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki.
The court in its judgment held that the action of Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the (EFCC violated the Money Laundering Act.
The court sentenced Okupe, who is the Director-General of the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, to two years imprisonment on count 34 with an option of a fine of ₦500,000.
The court also sentenced him to two 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 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.
The judge gave Okupe till 4:30 pm before being taken into custody. Okupe was found guilty on counts 34 to 59 of the charges.
While stating that the Act provides that no individual or organization shall receive any sum above ₦5 million and ₦10 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 Ojuwku, the NSA was 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 the money laundering.