On Wednesday, two staff members of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) admitted guilt to charges involving corruption and the misappropriation of salaries intended for former employees of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) located in Ebute Meta, Lagos.
The accused, Chief Accountant Shola Onasanya and Principal Executive Officer Halimat Olalere, both working within the FMC’s IPPIS Payroll Desk, appeared before the Federal High Court in Lagos. They were prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Following a plea bargain arrangement with the ICPC, the duo confessed to the two-count charges brought against them.
The ICPC alleged that the defendants illicitly diverted a total of N1.17 million by continuing to process salary payments for staff members who had already left the institution, thereby misusing public funds.
This act was said to be in violation of Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2022, according to the anti-corruption agency.
During the court session, prosecutor Enosa Omoghibo informed Justice Ibrahim Kala that an amended charge had been filed on September 4, requesting that it be read to the defendants. However, the judge reminded the prosecution that prior approval was required before presenting any amended charges.
Subsequently, Omoghibo sought the court’s consent to replace the original charge with the amended one, a motion that faced no opposition from the defense counsel. The defendants then formally pleaded guilty to the revised charges.
In light of the plea, the prosecutor moved for the court to accept the plea bargain as the final judgment, citing Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Justice Kala, however, emphasized that under Section 274 of the ACJA, a conviction cannot be secured solely on a guilty plea without corroborating evidence presented by the prosecution.
He acknowledged the importance of the admissions but stressed that they must be supported by factual proof to uphold a conviction.
Consequently, the prosecution requested an adjournment to compile the necessary evidence, and the court rescheduled the case for September 18 to reassess the matter.
The prosecution detailed that the offenses occurred between January and December 2023 at the FMC in Ebute Meta. It was further alleged that the defendants manipulated Olalere’s bank account details to facilitate the continued receipt of salaries meant for former employees.
Onasanya was accused of directing Olalere to channel these diverted funds into his personal account, with Olalere assisting in the unlawful conversion of the N1.17 million, which the ICPC classified as proceeds of corruption.
