By Bamidele Oyekale
Two staff in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation handling the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have pleaded guilty as charged for diverting salaries of former workers of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta – Lagos.
The staff, a Chief Accountant, Shola Onasanya and a Principal Executive Officer in the accounts department, Halimat Olalere were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The staff who used to manage the IPPIS Payrol Desk Office of the FMC diverted the sum of N1.17 million of the ex-FMC staff to their personal use.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, said the staff earlier engaged them for a plea bargaining.
ICPC investigation revealed that they failed to immediately stop salaries of the former staff who exited service after their retirement and were instead withdrawing their money unknowingly to the retired staff.
The rogue staff were charged under Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2022.
When the case was called, the prosecutor, Enosa Omoghibo, informed the trial judge, Justice Ibrahim Kala, about the plea bargain agreement, stating that an amended charge had been filed on September 4, and requested that this new charge be read to the defendants.
However, the judge reminded the prosecutor that he ought to have sought his permission before presenting the amended charge.
Following the judge’s position, Omoghibo applied for the court’s approval to substitute the initial charge with the amended one, which was met with no objections from the defence counsel.
The defendants then pleaded guilty to the charges.
