From Gyang Bere, Jos
Former Minister of Water Resources Mrs Sarah Ochekpe has expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement of the Federal High Court that sentenced her, the former Acting Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau State, Hon Raymond Dabo, and Leo Jitung to three years imprisonment for withdrawing N450 million above the threshold of an individual withdrawal.
She noted that the judgement vindicated them of the accusation of embezzling the funds as it was recognised that the said amount was delivered to the state campaign council.
Justice Musa Kurna of the Federal High Court Jos, who delivered the judgement, also gave them an option of N1 million each.
Mrs Ochekpe, who reacted to the judgement on Wednesday at St Jarlath Secondary School Bukuru, where she instructs indigent people in Adult Education, said she has instructed her lawyers to study the judgement with a view to advising them on the next action.
She explained that they all paid the N1 million each and were released to go home.
Ochekpe informed that three of them were invited to the EFCC office in Gombe in 2016, an invitation they both honoured in January 2017.
She said both of them don’t know why they were invited initially but the EFCC Operatives told them that they are been accused of being in the custody of stolen funds amounting to N450 million.
‘The three of us wrote our statements to the effect that in 2015 there was a presidential and National Assembly election and funds were sent from Abuja to Plateau State.
‘Three of us were nominated to receive the fund on behalf of Plateau State PDP, we did that innocently without knowing there will be any attachment to it, we wrote our statements in that effect.
‘We were asked to give the record of our assets and our bank accounts and they alleged that it was a stolen fund and we said we didn’t know anything about that.
‘The case came to court and the prosecution counsel fish his job, our lawyers filed a case of “No case submission” but the Judge ruled against us and said we should file our defence which we did.
‘We filed our defence and it was concluded in October 2021 and Judgement was fixed for 22 February 2022. Initially, there was two count charges of money laundering and not withdrawing money through a financial institution and we pleaded no guilty.
‘The charges were amended and added that we have retained the proceed of crime and we still pleaded no guilty. In the Judgement yesterday, the judge discharged and acquainted us on the basis that there was no evidence that we kept the money.
‘The money was taken from the Fidelity Bank in a bullion van to the campaign office and the cashier received and acknowledged the receipt of the money. The ALGON Chairman testify that the money was disbursed to the various local government for the election.
‘It was on the basis of that the Judge discharged and acquainted us. But we were told that we are convicted on the technical ground that there was a conspiracy among the three of us and that we did not collect the money through a financial institution.
‘We were find N1 million each which we all paid and went back home. As far as we are concerned, we are not satisfied with this judgement and we have told our lawyers that they are looking into the matter and they will advise us on what next to do.’