Doyin Okupe beats deadline, pays N13 million fine after court’s conviction

Admin l Monday, December 19, 2022

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Director General of the Labour Party Presidential Council Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe has paid the N13 million fine in lieu of going to jail for two years for money laundering and related offences.

He paid the fine following his conviction and sentence by  a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for breach of Money Laundering Act.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu earlier convicted Okupe on 26 of the 59 counts charge bothering on money laundering and related offences.  The two years per sentence were to run concurrently.

In  the alternative, Justice Ojukwu gave Okupe was to pay a fine of N500,000 per count, amounting to N13million. The judge also gave Okupe up to 4:30 pm Monday to pay the fine, failing which he would be driven straight in black maria to the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

Doyin Okupe was said to have received cash payments above N5million on each transaction from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) under Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), while he was Senior Special Assistant to then President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Justice Ojukwu found him and the two firms charged with him – Value Trust Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd – not guilty in relation to counts 1 to 33 bordering on many laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption.

Justice Ojukwu held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to prove the relevant elements of the offences contained in counts 1 to 33.