The Kogi State Government said it has established a payroll fraud of N157.38million perpetrated by the bursar of the state polytechnic and four others.
All the indicted officers, who have been suspended from office, are all senior staff in the Bursary Department of the Kogi State Polytechnic.
Government said today that the money was diverted into the private accounts of the five officers, over three years, from April 2014 to May 2017.
The suspects who will soon face trial are: Dr Okia Abel Adama, the School Bursar; Momoh Adeyanju Yahaya, the Chief Accountant for Part-time Programme; Omale Isaac Damian, the Chief Accountant-Budget and Planning; Ebiloma Ilenwa, the Assistant Chief Acountant-Pay Roll, and Falodun Alfred Toyin, the Pay Roll Officer.
Government said N39.2million out of the money was pilfered through a bogus two-year salary arrears, while N41.7m was creamed off the staff salaries under an equally bogus deduction.
According to Petra Akinti Onyegbule, chief press secretary to the governor, N76.499m represented salary overpayment, which the five officers diverted into their private accounts.
“All the five of them have been suspended by the Governing Council of the Institution and they shall be prosecuted by the State Government in order for them to face the consequences of their fraudulent actions”, Onyegbule said.
“The State Executive Council on Wednesday gave the approval to prosecute the suspects, and subsequently directed the Attorney General and Commissioner For Justice to take the necessary judicial actions against them.
“It should be noted that the state is prosecuting them so that the stolen funds will be recovered back into government coffers, and for them to also face the full wrath of the law, if found guilty”.
