N240m fraud: Appeal court upholds conviction of Bassey Akpan, Akwa Ibom YPP guber candidate

The court of appeal sitting in Calabar, has upheld the conviction of Bassey Akpan, governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom state, over money laundering charges.

In a statement on Friday, Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said the court has ordered the arrest of Akpan.

On December 1, 2022, TheCable reported that a federal high court in Akwa Ibom sentenced Akpan to 42 years in prison for fraud.

The EFCC had, in 2019, arraigned him on a six-count charge of allegedly taking possession of six vehicles worth N204 million when he was the commissioner for finance in the state.

Agatha Okeke, the presiding judge in the federal high court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, found  Akpan guilty of the seven-count charge of money laundering brought against him and sentenced him without an option of fine.

However, the Calabar court upheld the conviction but granted the appellant an option of fine, adding that he should restitute the sum of N240 million to the federal government through the EFCC.

“Akpan was prosecuted on allegation of receiving vehicles valued at N240 million as bribe 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 statement reads.

“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.

“However, dissatisfied with the judgment, Akpan approached a vacation court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, presided over by Justice S. I. Mark of the federal high court and secured a post-conviction bail on health grounds.

“But upon release from prison, Senator Akpan continued with his campaign to be governor of Akwa Ibom state and subsequently approached the appellate court in Calabar, to set aside the judgment of Justice Okeke.

“While arguing against the appeal, counsel to the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho urged the court to uphold the judgment of the lower court, dismiss the appeal and revoke the said bail granted to Senator Bassey on the grounds that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and the charge was validly filed.

“Delivering judgment today, the 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 affirmed that the appellant should restitute the sum of N240 million to the federal government through the EFCC and that the said restitution shall not be a prerequisite for his release from the correctional facility.

“The court finally revoked the bail and ordered the arrest of Senator Akpan.”