Two civil servants with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of corruption and diverting salaries of former staff members of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Ebute Meta, Lagos.
The defendants, Shola Onasanya, a Chief Accountant, and Halimat Olalere, a Principal Executive Officer in the accounts department, were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
The defendants pleaded guilty after entering into a plea bargain agreement with the ICPC, admitting to diverting N1.17 million meant for former employees.
The defendants allegedly altered the account details of Olalere to continue receiving salaries meant for former staff, with Onasanya instructing Olalere to transfer the funds into his own account.
The offence contravenes Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2022.
The prosecutor requested the court to accept the plea bargain agreement as the judgment, but Justice Ibrahim Kala noted that the court could not convict the defendants without tendered evidence.
The court adjourned the case to September 18 for a review of the facts, allowing the prosecution to prepare necessary documentation to support the plea bargain agreement.
The defendants’ guilty pleas were significant, but Justice Kala emphasised that conviction requires supporting evidence from the prosecution.
