Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani and State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Samuel Okpoko were docked on May 22, 2018, in Port Harcourt for a six-count charge of money laundering before Justice B. Bilikisu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The said N750million, is part of the $115million reportedly stolen from the treasury by former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison Madueke.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the accused collected the money from the Garrison branch of Fidelity bank in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on the eve of the 2015 general elections .
The money was part of the infamous $115million Diezani Alison- Madueke cash deployed to bribe many politicians and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
Kobani allegedly collected N50,000,000 out of the heist while Okpoko allegedly collected the remaining N700,000,000.
Count one of the charge read: ” That you Samuel Johnson Okpoko on or about the 27th day of March, 2015 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this court, did conspire and aid other persons yet to be charged, to acquire and take possession and control of the sum of Seven Hundred Million Naira( N700,000,000.00) from Fidelity Bank location Garrison, Port Harcourt, reasonably knowing and or ought to have known that such fund or property forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under section 15( 3) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended”.
Count two of the charge reads: “That you Kenneth Kobani on or about the 27th day of March, 2015 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this court, did conspire and aid other persons yet to be charged, to acquire and take possession and control of the sum of Fifty Million Naira( N50, 000,000.00) from Fidelity Bank location Garrison, Port Harcourt, reasonably knowing and or ought to have known that such fund or property forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under section 15( 3) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended”.
When the charge was read to them, they pleaded “not guilty ” Prosecution counsel, C.A. Okoli told the court that he was ready for trial and prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody. However, the lead defense counsel, C.A. Okala, SAN, sued for the bail of the defendants, which was granted and bail was set at N50 million and a surety each in like sum.
The matter was asjournwd till June 4, 2018 for trial.
