N14.5m fraud: House of Assembly staff sentenced to two years in jail in Delta

A staff 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, Asaba.

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

Counsel to ICPC, Mrs S. Chibuzor, had told the court that the convict fraudulently received the total sum of N14,525,550 as double salary over a period of four years from the state assembly and the local government council.

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

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

Justice Marshall-Umokoro, in his ruling, sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He was also given the option of paying a fine of N500,000.

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