Former minister Sarah Ochekpe sentenced to three months with the option of a fine for $1m fraud

FORMER minister of water resources Sarah Ochekpe and two of her accomplices have been sentenced to three months imprisonment with an option of a fine by a federal high court in Jos after being found guilty in a N450m ($1.07m) fraud case.

In the case brought against Ms Ochekpe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2018, she and her accomplices were charged with conspiracy and money laundering. Sentencing her today, the court also sentenced Raymond Dabo and  Leo Jitung to three months imprisonment each.

All three accused persons had entered a plea of no case submission. Delivering ruling, Justice Musa Kurna, gave the convicts an option to pay a fine of N1 each.

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 it to a governorship candidate, as such were not guilty of retaining the sum for themselves. He, however, said they were guilty of withdrawing the N450m which he said was above the threshold of an individual withdrawal.

According to the judge, the offence , which contravened the provisions of Section 16(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2013 as amended, is an offence which carries a minimum of three years imprisonment or a N10m fine. However, in his discretion Justice Kurna sentenced them to three months imprisonment each or an option N1m fine each.