The Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has convicted a former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, and two others for money laundering involving N450 million traced to funds said to have been fraudulently distributed by former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
According to a statement by the EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Ms Ochekpe and two others were jailed six years each with an option of fine.
The judge, HM Kurya, sentenced the three individuals after finding them guilty of three counts of conspiracy and money laundering.
The two other convicts are Evan Jitong and Raymond Dabo.
While Mr Jitong served as a deputy director for the Goodluck/Sambo 2015 election campaign, Mr Dabo served as an acting chairman of PDP in Plateau State.
The three convicts were accused of receiving N450 million from Fidelity Bank Plc through cash and wire transfer from some oil companies and Mrs Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
The judge convicted them on one count of conspiracy to accept cash payment above a threshold sum, under the anti-money laundering law.
They were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with an option of N2 million fine each.
The judge also convicted and sentenced them to three years’s imprisonment with an option of N2 million fine each on the second count.
RN
