ICPC arraigns Head of Service staff over ‘ghost’ pensioners

The ICPC yesterday arraigned two officials of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf for corruptly enriching themselves with pension funds.

They are John Emmanuel and Gloria Philadjigbey. Emmanuel, a Data Processing Officer, was attached to the Pensions Reform Task Team (PRTT) while Philadjigbey worked as an Office Assistant in the same office.

The ICPC arraigned them on a 31-count charge bordering on dishonestly through insertion of “ghost” pensioners on the e-pension data base to perpetrate a N30 million fraud.

The ICPC, is prosecuting Emmanuel, based on a petition from the Chairman of the Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.

It further alleged that Emmanuel used various banks where he kept some of the pension funds through electronic transfers. Both accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The ICPC counsel, Mr Emmanuel Akaakohol, who did not object to an oral bail application by the counsel to the accused, Ms Chinwe Asonme, prayed the court to impose conditions that would ensure they attended the trial.

Baba-Yusuf admitted the two to bail in the sum of N1 million each with two sureties in like sum and adjourned hearing to Feb. 19 for the prosecution to begin its case.