Court jails ex-Minister, PDP chair, Jonathan campaign coordinator

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has sentenced a former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, to three months imprisonment for N450 million fraud.

Ochekpe served as a minister in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She was sentenced alongside a former chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, Raymond Dabo, and the Plateau State Coordinator of Jonathan Campaign Organization, Leo-Sunday Jitong, by the Federal High Court on Tuesday.

The three accused persons had been standing trial since 2018 for money laundering and conspiracy brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Delivering ruling, Justice Musa Kurna gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N1 million each.

Ochekpe, Dabo and Jitung had entered a plea of no case submission.

While sentencing the convicts, the judge held that after withdrawing the said amount from the bank, they did not withhold the money to themselves but delivered same to a governorship candidate, as such were not guilty of retaining the sum for themselves.

Kurna, however, said they were guilty of withdrawing the N450 million which he said was above the threshold of an individual withdrawal.

He said the offence, which contravened the provisions of Section 16(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2013 as amended, 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 each.

TheStar