Following his conviction for money laundering, Doyin Okupe, has stepped down as the Director-General of as the Labour Party President Campaign Council.
Doyin Okupe announced his resignation in a letter addressed to Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi on Tuesday.
In the letter dated December 20, 2022, Okupe said he is resigning from the position to seek justice and cleared his name
“I have invested too much in your campaign to allow my personal travails to become a source of distraction.
“In the circumstances, I have opted to step aside and plead that you appoint a new Campaign DG who can continue the assignment with zero distractions.”
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted Okupe of breaching the Money Laundering Act on Monday.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found Okupe guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki while he was a special assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Judge said Okupe violated violated the Money Laundering Act by receiving the funds in cash.
The court noted that the Act provides that no individual or organization shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without passing through a financial institution.
The court also said even if the president was said to have authorized the funds, he did not say that the money must be paid in cash in violation of money laundering to the former presidential aide.
Therefore, the court held that the first defendant, Okupe was guilty in counts 34, 35, 36, and 59.
But the court dismissed counts 1 to 33 on the grounds on criminal breach of trust and corruption filed against him.
In counts 34 to 59 on which Okupe was convicted, he was accused of receiving various sums ranging from N10 million on different occasions from 2012 to 2015 when he was SSA to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The court sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment on count 34 with an option of a fine.
He was fined N500,000 on each of the counts — totalling N13 million.
He paid the N13m fine and thus avoided going to jail.
