Appeal Court Calabar upholds conviction of Bassey Albert
… vacates bail, orders his immediate arrest
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar has upheld the fraud conviction of Obong Bassey Albert Akpan.
Obong Akpan, a former commissioner for finance in Akwa Ibom State and candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election 2023 was earlier on December 1 2022 found guilty of a seven count charge of money laundering.
Justice Agatha Okeke of the Uyo Federal High Court had found Senator Akpan guilty of seven-counts of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC )and sentenced him to 42 years imprisonment, without an option of fine.
Obong Akpan appealed his conviction and secured a post-conviction bail on health grounds.
However, the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal, on Friday, June 23, 2023 upheld the conviction of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan on money laundering charges by a Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and ordered his arrest.
Delivering judgment in the Appeal Court Calabar, the three-man panel of the Appellate Court, led by Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo JCA (alongside Hamma Akawu Barka and Balkisu Bello Aliyu JJCA), upheld the conviction of Senator Akpan but varied the sentence by granting the appellant an option of fine.
Obong Akpan, the immediate past senator representing Uyo Senatorial district in Akwa Ibom State was prosecuted on allegation of receiving vehicles valued at N240 million as bribe.
He reportedly received the vehicles from companies linked to one Olajide Omokore, a contractor who executed a N3billion contract for the government of Akwa Ibom State whilst Senator Bassey was Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee.
The offence contravenes Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and is punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.
