House of Assembly official jailed for N14.5m salary fraud

An official of the Delta State House of Assembly, John Adjeke Akpoghene, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment over N14.5 million salary fraud.

Akpoghene was charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before the Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, the state capital.

The ICPC had, in a one-count charge before Justice Onome Marshal-Umukoro of the Delta State High Court, accused Akpoghene of receiving double salary from the Delta Assembly and Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

The counsel for ICPC, S. Chibuzor, told the court that the convict fraudulently received N14,525,550 as double salary, over a period of four years from the Delta Assembly and the local government council.

READ ALSO: Subsidy: Delta govt to invest in electric vehicles

He was said to have committed the offence while working as a state civil servant and a supervisory councillor with Ughelli South Local Government Area simultaneously.

In his defense, Akpoghene said he was unaware that it was a crime to have two government jobs and receive salaries from both at the same time.

The presiding judge, Justice Marshall-Umokoro, in his ruling, sentenced Akpoghene to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000.

The judge further ruled that the convict continues to make the necessary monthly refunds to the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission.

The Star