Alleged N450m fraud: Ochekpe describes case as witch hunt

A former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, has said what befell her, Hon. Raymond Dabo and Evangelist Leo Sunday Jitung in an alleged N450 million money laundering case was a clear case of a witch hunt. Ochekpe, who along with the two aforementioned people, was on Tuesday, 22nd February 2022, discharged and acquitted of two out of the three count charges, but paid a N1million fine; advised well-meaning Nigerians to focus on addressing the myriad of challenges bedevilling the country, “rather than chasing shadows”. She disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital, while reacting to the court judgment. She said, “We have been in court since 2018; before then some investigations were carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). “We were invited to Gombe, we had received letters of invitation in December 2016, to report to Gombe office of EFCC in January 2017. For the whole of 2017, the investigations by the EFCC went on”, she explained. “When we were invited, we didn’t know what it was for, and we were told that it was in relation to some stolen funds, they mentioned the sum of N450 million. “The three of us wrote our statements to the effect that, in 2015, there was Presidential and National Assembly elections and funds were sent from Abuja to Plateau State, and three of us were nominated to receive the funds on behalf of the state PDP, then, of course, was a PDP government that was in power, we did that innocently without knowing there will be any attachment to the funds.” She further stated that the three of them were asked to give records of their “assets, liabilities and bank accounts” and they were investigated. “They alleged that the funds were stolen funds, and we said we didn’t know that; we only acted under instructions. “So when the case came to court, the prosecution counsel completed their prosecution, our lawyers filed in for a look in submission, the judge ruled against us, and say we should enter our defence, which we did, and the defence was concluded in October 2021. “In December 2021, the prosecution and defence made a presentation of their written addresses and the gave a judgment date of 22nd February 2022”, she continued. According to her, “Initially, there were two count charges of money laundering, and also withdrawing money through a financial institution, which we pleaded not guilty. “The charges were amended and they became three, and the third charge was that we retained the proceed of crime, we still pleaded not guilty.” “In the judgment of 22nd February 2022, the judge discharged and acquitted us on the basis of the fact that, from all investigations, they did not find any evidence, to say that we kept the money, because the money was from the bank, in the bank’s bullion van straight to the campaign office, and the cashier who received the money acknowledged that. “Also, the then ALGON chairman in the state also testified that the money was distributed to the 17 LGAs in the state for the election purposes. “There was no evidence against us to say we retained the money, and based on that, the judge discharged and acquitted us”, she added. “We were been convicted of a fact that there was a conspiracy among the three of us, also that we did not collect the money through a financial institution; however, these are technical issues that I cannot speak further on. Only the lawyers can.” On the judgment, Ochekpe said, “As far as we are concerned, we are not satisfied with this judgment, and we told our lawyers, and they are looking into the matter; to advise us on what next to do.” The former Minister however said she was happy to be out to continue doing what she is doing in her community and others around. According to her, “There are greater problems in Nigeria that every well-meaning Nigerian should address, rather than chasing shadows. “As far as we are concerned, this is a clear case of a witch hunt.”