“Guilty Pleas Alone Insufficient For Conviction” — Court Tells IPPIS Staff, Sets September 18 For Facts Review

A Federal High Court in Lagos has scheduled September 18 for a review of facts in a corruption case involving two staff members of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The defendants, Shola Onasanya, Chief Accountant, and Halimat Olalere, Principal Executive Officer of Accounts, both serve at the IPPIS Payroll Desk Office of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Meta, Lagos. They were charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) with diverting salaries of workers who had exited the FMC.

During proceedings on Wednesday before Justice Ibrahim Kala, the prosecutor, Mr. Enosa Omoghibo, Assistant Director of the ICPC, informed the court of a plea bargain agreement filed on September 4. He applied for the amended two-count charge to be read to the defendants, who subsequently pleaded guilty.

Justice Kala, however, reminded the prosecution that evidence must still be adduced before a conviction can be secured, in line with Sections 270 and 274 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. He noted that while the guilty pleas reduced the burden on the prosecution, they did not replace the need for evidence.

The court adjourned the case until September 18 to allow the defence counsel to prepare and for the review of the facts.

According to the charge, between January and December 2023, the defendants allegedly converted N1.17 million into their personal accounts by failing to stop salaries of former staffers. Onasanya reportedly directed Olalere to transfer the funds into his own account, while Olalere assisted in the conversion.

The alleged offence contravenes Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2022.

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