A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Wednesday sentenced three civil servants to six years imprisonment each for payroll fraud.
The convicts are Justin Itemoagbo, Dayo Aliyu and Sylvanus Ojeifo.
A fourth officer, Dayang Jacob, was discharged and acquitted.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, dragged the civil servants to court on a 32-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, theft and cheating by impersonation.
While delivering judgment, Justice Peter Kekemeke sentenced the convicts after going through the evidence presented by the prosecution.
“In totality, the evidence of the 1st ,2nd and 3rd defendants collapsed like a pack of cards.
”I therefore, find the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants guilty as charged.
”The 4th defendant is found not guilty. He is accordingly discharged and acquitted.
All the defendants’ counsel pleaded for leniency and urged the court to tamper justice with mercy and give the convicts an option of fine.
The defendants were arraigned for payroll fraud they committed between 2012 and 2015.
They were accused of smuggling about 15 names of either deceased workers or retired ones and collected their salaries every month.
The first defendant worked with the Human Resources Department, Federal Ministry of Works, while the second defendant worked at a help desk officer, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
The third defendant worked at the Nominal Roll and Manpower Budget Office of the Federal Ministry of Works.
Payroll fraud: Court sentences 3 civil servants to 6 years imprisonment
