By Enyichukwu Enemanna
With barely two months to Nigeria’s presidential election slated for February next year, Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Director General, Dr. Doyin Okupe has been found guilty of graft related charges.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had Monday, found Okupe, an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd).
The court presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojuwku therefore sentenced him to two years imprisonment or an option of N500, 000 on each of the 26 count charge for which he was found guilty.
Justice Ojuwku in a judgment delivered held that the action of Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) violated the Money Laundering Act, has up to 4:30 pm on Monday to pay the fine option, totalling the sum of N13 million on all the charges he was found guilty or be sent the Kuje Correctional Center.
Justice Ojukwu, in sentencing Okupe, considered the pleadings for leniency from the wife of the convict, Omolola Okupe and that of his son Adesunkanmi Okupe and the alocutus by his counsel.
While stating that the Money Laundering Act provides that no individual or organization shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without passing through a financial institution, the judge held that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution” and that Okupe was not a financial institution, and 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.
Consequently, the court found the former SSA to former President Jonathan guilty in counts 34, 35, 36 to 59 and sets him free from 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 Okupe was convicted, he was accused of receiving various sums of money 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 salary and image laundering of the former president and his administration. But, the court, however, held that receiving such amounts in cash violated the Money Laundering Act.
Shortly after his conviction, Okupe’s counsel Mr 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 and having health challenges that he is currently treating in Nigeria and outside the country.
Oronsaye, citing Section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, urged the court to stand down the matter to enable him to call witnesses that will attest to the good character of Okupe, a request the court granted and Okupe’s wife and son pleaded for mercy in the sentencing of the former SSA, a request which the court granted and the wife and one of his child were called.
They both told the court that Okupe was a loving and caring father, whose love and care extend to people who are not his biological children, adding that Okupe is a great man with integrity and good character.
Counsel to the second and third defendants also lend their voices in the plea for mercy, adding that the convict was a mere victim of circumstances.
