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Court adjourns Okupe’s money laundering trial till March 5

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N702M FRAUD: Court fixes date to hear Jonathan’s ex-aide Okupe’s application for foreign medical trip

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday adjourned till March 5, the trial of former Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, for alleged money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Okupe alongside his two companies – Value Trust Investments and Abrahams Telecoms – on a 59-count of money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N702 million.

According to a statement sent to Ripples Nigeria by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, the defence presented its fourth witness, Bamidele Salami, a member of the House of Representatives, when hearing resumed on the matter on Monday morning.

Salami served as head of media in the office of the SSA on public affairs to the ex- President.

The witness, who was led by the defence counsel, Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), told the court that there were 30 workers in different units of the SSA office at the time.

READ ALSO: Buhari right on war against corruption, but wrong in execution —Okupe

He added that the office was funded by the Presidency through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).

According to him, ONSA provided N10 million monthly to Okupe for the running of the unit.

Salami also revealed that ONSA released N3million for a programme “Insight” on NTA, to correct the negative perception by the public on the former President.

This, according to him, was also released to the unit through Okupe.

The witness described as untrue claim that the programme was aired “free of charge” as corporate social responsibility by the NTA.

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