June 23, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal in Calabar has upheld the conviction of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan on money laundering charges by a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
A three-man panel of the Appellate Court, led by Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo, also ordered the arrest of the embattled Senator.
Justice Agatha Okeke, the Presiding Judge of a Federal High Court in Uyo, had on December 1, 2022, convicted Senator Akpan on a seven-counts of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and sentenced him to 42 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Senator Akpan was prosecuted on allegation of receiving vehicles valued at N240 million as bribes from companies linked to one Olajide Omokore, a contractor who executed a N3 billion contract for the Government of Akwa Ibom State whilst Senator Bassey was Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee.
The offence contravenes Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and is punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Akpan, who secured a post-conviction bail on health grounds in December 2022, in a Federal High Court in Rivers, had approached the Appellate Court in Calabar to set aside the judgment of Justice Okeke.
Delivering judgment on Friday, a three-man panel of the Appellate Court, led by Justice Raphael Chikwe Agbo, upheld the conviction of Senator Akpan but varied the sentence by granting the appellant an option of fine.
The Court also held that the appellant restitutes the sum of N240 million to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
The Court finally revoked the bail and ordered the arrest of Senator Akpan.
