The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted former Senior Special Assistant on Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and Peter Obi Campaign Organisation Doyin Okupe, for allegedly breaching the Money Laundering Act.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Okupe in 2019 on a 59-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu presiding over the case on Monday found Okupe guilty of 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.
Okupe is the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Labour Party.
The Justice has stood down proceedings till 1:45pm
This is to allow Okupe to exercise his right under Section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to call witnesses to testify about his character.
Thereafter, the court will proceed to pronounce its sentence.
Updated
Court sentences Doyin Okupe to 2 years imprisonment on count 34 with an option of a fine of N500,000
The court also sentenced him to 2 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.