IPPIS ACCOUNTANTS ARRAIGNED, PLEAD GUILTY TO DIVERTING N1.17M SALARIES OF FORMER GOVERNMENT WORKERS

Read Time:1 Minute, 27 Second

By Aishat Momoh. O.

Two staff of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly diverting salaries belonging to former employees of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta.

The defendants, Shola Onasanya, a Chief Accountant, and Halimat Olalere, a Principal Executive Officer of Accounts, were brought before Justice Ibrahim Kala by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on an amended two-count charge of corruption.

The ICPC accused the officials of diverting N1.17 million in salaries meant for staff who had exited the service between January and December 2023. According to the charge, Olalere’s account was substituted to receive the salaries, which were later transferred into Onasanya’s personal account.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, ICPC prosecutor Enosa Omoghibo informed the court that the defendants had entered a plea bargain agreement filed on September 4. He sought leave of court to substitute the initial charge with the amended one, which was subsequently read to the defendants.

Both Onasanya and Olalere pleaded guilty. Omoghibo then urged the court to adopt the plea bargain terms as judgment under Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

However, Justice Kala stressed that under Section 274 of the ACJA, a guilty plea alone was insufficient to secure conviction without evidence from the prosecution. He noted that while the guilty pleas had eased the burden of proof, the prosecution still had to adduce evidence.

Following this, the defence applied for an adjournment, which was granted. The case was adjourned until September 18, 2025, for review of facts.

The offence, according to ICPC, contravenes Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2022.