The chairman of Public Section Interest and Development, Monday Ubani, has said that unless the Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, appeals the judgement convicting him of money laundering, he will bear ex-convict for the rest of his life.
A federal high court in Abuja presided by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had on Monday found Okupe guilty of contravening the Money Laundering Act by accepting cash in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act without going through a financial institution.
Okupe was found guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
He was therefore sentenced to two years with an option of N500,000 fine on each of the 26 counts of which he was found guilty.
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Monday evening, he paid the N13m fine.
Commenting on the judgement in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, Ubani said, “He was found guilty of 26 counts But the judge was magnanimous in giving an option of a fine of N500,000 per count. If you multiple that by 26, it will give you N13m.
“He paid the money and walked away, so he would not be taken to a correctional. it is a conviction that has an option of fine but still he is an ex-convict.
“If he feels that he was wrongly convicted, he should go for an appeal. He has an apellete option up to Supreme Court level on this matter but if he leaves it that way, he carries the burden of ex-convict to the rest of his life.”
Ubani added that if Okupe succeed in the apellete courts, he would be refunded the N13m fine.
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