Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the owner of Daar Communications who is currently standing trial on money laundering charges has told the court that the money in question was laundered by the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and not him.
The media mogul who is standing trial alongside his Daar Investment and Holdings Company Limited, told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that they are not the launderer of the N2.1bn as alleged in their ongoing trial; but Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), who paid the funds to them for services rendered in 2015.
The lawyer for the accused Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), told the court as he argued the no-case submission of his clients which was filed after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) closed case against them with the 14th prosecution witness on May 28, 2018.
The EFCC accused Raymond Dokpesi alongside Daar Investment of money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of N2.1bn alleging that the sum was a largesse received from the Office of the National Security Adviser between January and March 2015.
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The anti-graft agency subsequently charged Raymond Dokpesi and his company to court on money laundering and procurement fraud charges.
The main defendant and Daar Investment (the parent company of AIT and Raypower FM) allegedly received the sum of N2.1bn from the office of the NSA which was wheaded by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) at the time as payment for a “purported contract on presidential media initiative.”
The prosecution further alleged that Dokpesi and his firm received the sum of N2.1bn from the office of his NSA to prosecute the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential media campaign in the 2015 elections.
The prosecution went further to allege that the payment was in breach of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the EFCC (Establishment) Act.