N450m Diezani bribe: Ex-minister, Sarah Ochekpe, sentenced to six years imprisonment
A Federal High Court sitting in Jos on Tuesday sentenced Former Minister of Water Resources Sarah Ochekpe and two others to three years imprisonment each for money laundry with an option of a N1million fine on each count.
Delivering judgment , Justice Haruna Kurya found the trio of Sarah Ochekpe, Raymond Dabo, and Leo Sunday Jitung guilty on two counts out of the three filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trio, were, however, released after payment of the N1million option of fine.
The accused have been standing trial for the past four years on charges bordering on money laundering, conspiracy, and accepting cash payment against threshold as allowed by law.
The court found them guilty on counts one and two for conspiracy as well as retention of N450 million which is above the amount allowed by law.
They, were, however, discharged and acquitted on the third charge.
Ochekpe, who was a minister in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was sentenced alongside Raymond Dabo, a former Chairman of PDP in Plateau State and Leo Jitung, the Plateau State Coordinator of Jonathan Campaign Organization.
According to NAN, Justice Musa Kurna, who read the judgement, gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N1 million each.
The judge, while sentencing the accused, held that they were not guilty of retaining the money to themselves as they gave the withdrawn funds to a governorship candidate rather than withholding the money for themselves.
Kurna, however, pointed out that they were guilty of withdrawing the N450 million which he said was above the withdrawal limit for an individual adding that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 16(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2013 as amended, an offence which carries a minimum of three years imprisonment or a N10 million fine.
The judge however, in his discretion sentenced them to three months imprisonment each or an option N1 million naira each.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2018, brought a case of money laundering and conspiracy against the 3 accused persons in a case of N450 million.
The 3 accused; Ochekpe, Dabo and Jitung had entered a plea of no case submission.
