Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress’ presidential candidate, has said that Doyin Okupe, a former special adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, paying the N13 million fine in exchange for a two and a half year prison sentence was not justice.
Sowore made this statement on News Central’s Politics HQ on Thursday night, as he claimed that the N13 million punishment did not justify the money laundering when compared to the N720 million Okupe was found guilty of.
In a previous interview clip shown of Okupe and Sowore on Al Jazeera in 2013 where Okupe represented former president Jonathan, Sowore had accused him of corruption and money laundering, adding that Okupe was one of the people who “sold away Nigeria doing deals with military leaders.”
A livid Okupe had called Sowore “a huge joke, a liar and a man without any reputation, who collects money to destroy people’s reputation.”
READ ALSO: Money Laundering: Okupe Pays N13m Conviction Fine To Avoid Jail Term
Sowore, however, said nine years after their head-to-head on Al jazeera, Okupe was convicted for exactly what he had accused him off.
He also lamented the nine years period it took for Okupe to be convicted, saying the long waiting period enabled him to embezzle more funds.
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.”
