JUST IN: Okupe Docked For ‘Diverting’ N702million From Arms Fund

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday
arraigned Doyin Okupe, a former Senior Special Assistant to former
President Goodluck Jonathan, on a 59-count charge bordering on
“money laundering and criminal diversion of funds” to the tune of
N702million.

According to Tony Orilade, acting Head, Media and Publicity of
the EFCC, Okupe was brought before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a
Federal High Court, Maitama, along with two companies — Value Trust
Investment Ltd and Abrahams Telecoms Ltd — allegedly involved in
the commission of the fraud.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Dr. Doyin Okupe, being the
Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan from July
2012 to May 2015, and being the Managing Director/Chief Executive
Officer, and a signatory to the bank account of Abrahams Telecoms
Ltd, on or about the 3rd October, 2014 in Abuja within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directly took possession or
control of the sum of N35 million, transferred to the account of
Abrahams Telecoms Ltd from the account of the Office of the
National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria
purporting to be for special services when you reasonably ought to
have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an
unlawful activity.”

Okupe pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Upon his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Ibrahim Audu, asked for
a date for “commencement of the trial”.

However, Okupe’s counsel, Tolu Babaleiye, through a motion on
notice dated December 17, 2018, prayed the court to admit the
defendant to bail.

“The defendant will in no way tamper with evidence since the
proof of evidence is before the court that means investigation has
been concluded,” he said.

Babaleiye further urged the court to admit the defendant to bail
on self-recognizance, adding: “he will not jump bail as he is
well-known”.

While responding to the application, Audu argued that “the
defendant was given administrative bail after he volunteered his
statement thereafter, he was nowhere to be found until December
2018 in Lagos”.

He further said that “there was nothing substantial in the
defendant’s affidavit” adding that there is nothing to show that
the medical certificate is authentic and nothing to show it meets
the requirements of the evidence act as it was electronically
generated.

“The court should exercise its discretion judicially and
judiciously based on materials supplied before the court,” he
added, stressing that the court should take into consideration,
“the gravity of the punishment in the event of conviction on the
charges brought against the defendant”.

After listening to all the arguments, Justice Ojukwu granted
bail to the defendant in the sum of N100 million with one surety in
like sum.

He said the surety must be resident within the jurisdiction of
the court, and must depose to an affidavit of means, must have
landed properties which must also be within the jurisdiction of the
court; must submit to the court tax clearance papers from 2016 to
2018, also have recent passport photograph. The surety and
defendant must also deposit their international passports with the
Deputy Chief Registrar, Litigation, of the court.

Justice Ojukwu thereafter adjourned to February 27, 28 and March
6, 2019 for trial.