A Federal High Court sitting in Jos, on Tuesday, convicted and sentenced a former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, alongside two others to three months imprisonment each.
Ochekpe, who served as Minister under former President Goodluck, alongside a former chairman of the People Democratic Party in Plateau state, Raymond Dabo, and the Plateau State Coordinator of Jonathan Campaign Organization, Leo-Sunday Jitong, were charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2018 over a case of money laundering and conspiracy.
The three have been standing trial for the past four years on charges bordering on money laundering and conspiracy involving a whopping sum of N450 million. The anti-graft agency had accused the three persons of illegally receiving the money from the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke to finance re-election campaign of Jonathan.
However, during court proceedings Ochekpe, Dabo and Jitung had filed a plea of no case submission.
Delivering ruling, Justice Musa Kurna, convicted the three individuals of money Laudering, sentencing them to a three-month imprisonment each, or an option to pay a fine of N1 Million each.
The judge held that were guilty of withdrawing the N450 million which was above the threshold of an individual withdrawal. He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 16(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2013 as amended.
