Doyin Okupe, a former special assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, paid a N13 million fine in return for a 2.5-year prison sentence, according to Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate for the African Action Congress, who claimed that this was not fair.
When compared to the N720 million Okupe was found guilty of, Sowore stated that the N13 million fine did not justify the money laundering. He made this allegation on News Central’s Politics HQ on Thursday night.
Sowore accused Okupe of corruption and money laundering in an earlier interview tape that was aired on Al Jazeera in 2013 while Okupe was speaking on behalf of former president Jonathan, adding that Okupe was one of those who “sold away Nigeria negotiating deals with military leaders.”
Okupe, who was furious, had referred to Sowore as “a big joke, a liar, and a man without any character, who collects money to ruin people’s reputations.”
However, Sowore claimed that exactly what he had accused Okupe of was proven to be true nine years after their face-off on Al Jazeera.
He also bemoaned the nine years it took Okupe to be found guilty, claiming that the length of time allowed him to steal more money.
Sowore said,
“Nine years after that interview, he (Okupe) was convicted for money laundering. That is also part of the reason why I decided that writing and investigating corruption is not enough to change society. These guys have become used to even being exposed, they don’t care anymore. You saw him laughing conveniently. Laughing off the allegations on international TV.
“But look at how long it took for him to get convicted. Nine years later. During that period he had been accused again in 2016 or 2017 of corruption.
“So had they taken him out in 2013 he would not have access to another N720 million that he was accused of. In fact, it was on that case that he was convicted here (four days ago).
“He was merely asked to pay back N13 million, someone who stole N720 million what fraction of the money he stole is that. That is not justice as far as I am concerned.
“It is part of the motivation that brought people like me to go into the political system to clean it up, create and mobilise a new set of young people with conscience.”
