Former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, has appealed his money laundring conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Recall that Justice I. L. Ojukwu had on December 19, 2022 convicted Okupe of two counts of money laundering and sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of a 13 million naira fine.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had told the court that Okupe received over N200m cash from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), without going through the bank.
The anti-graft agency said he violated the provisions of the money laundering law.
Okupe was found guilty of collecting cash payments in excess of the threshold allowed under sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act, without going through a financial institution.
According to the judge, the embattled Labour Party DG was reported to have received hundreds of millions in cash from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki while he was in office.
He was however given the option of paying the fine of N500,000 each on the 26 counts for which he was found guilty, totalling N13,000,000, which he has paid.
In an appeal filed by his lawyer, Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) on Thursday, Okupe is seeking the reversal of his conviction, arguing that he received the said sums in cash not in his individual capacity but for the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs.
He said he acted under the instructions of the ex-President and hence, he should not be penalised unjustly.
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