PDP rejects Dokpesi as member of Bayelsa campaign team over corruption allegation

The Chairman, Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dopkesi, was dropped from the list of members that form the campaign council for the coming Bayelsa guber election. And he was not happy.

Dokpesi told the FCT High Court Apo during a cross examination on Tuesday that everybody now treats him like a leper after his name appeared on the looters’ list released by the Ministry of Information.

Last year, he filed a suit before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, of an FCT High Apo, seeking N5 billion damages from Information Minister Lai Mohammed and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

He dragged the ministers to the court, claiming that they defamed his character by including his name on the treasury looters’ list in March 2018.

Now he is suffering from the damage the list has done to his person.

“The list of members of campaign councils for Bayelsa and Kogi where I was rejected was released.

“Everybody is treating me like a plague. I was rejected. There are members of national campaign council of leaders nationwide and Raymond Dokpesi is conspicuously absent.”

He told the court that though he held no position in the opposition party, he was a leader a stakeholder in the PDP.

Dokpesi, while answering questions from counsel for the defendants, Damian Agbe, stated that he was unjustly called a looter of treasury.

“The minister (Lai Mohammed) said I was a looter. The minister clearly in his statement stated that he is releasing the list of looters.

“The word ‘alleged’ was never used in his statement. I am in the media; I am a media proprietor,” the claimant told the court.

Though he agreed with Agbe that he was facing trial for allegedly collecting N2.1 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Dokpesi declared that he had not been found guilty by any court.

“What is in the public domain is the fact that N2.1 billion was paid to an institution called Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited, operators of Africa Independent Television and Ray Power National Network FM. But not that I, Raymond Dokpesi looted the treasury,” he said.

Justice Adeniyi adjourned the case until Jan. 16, 2020 for defence