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Sarah Ochekpe, the former minister of Water Resources who was sentenced to six year jail term by a Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State can avoid going to prison by paying a fine of N4 million, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said.
In a press release on Tuesday, the EFCC stated that Ochekpe, Evan Leo Sunday Jitong and Raymond Dabo, deputy director for Goodluck/Sambo 2015 election campaign and former Acting Chairman of PDP, were convicted on an amended 3-count charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.
The EFCC stated that they received N450million from Fidelity Bank Plc through cash and wire transfer by some oil companies and former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
“The defendants were convicted on count one, bordering on conspiracy to accept cash payment above threshold under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2012 (as amended) and sentenced to three (3) years imprisonment with an option of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) fine each.
“On count two, the defendants were convicted and sentenced to three (3) years imprisonment with an option of N2, 000,000 (Two Million Naira) fine each. The sentences are to run consecutively,” the EFCC added.
The anti graft agency accused Fidelity Bank Plc, Jos main branch of withdrawing N450million from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on 26th March, 2015,and delivering it to the defendants in cash”.
