Wednesday, May 14, 2025 - The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Mrs. Moses Oluwafunmilayo Esther for allegedly forging her letter of posting and unlawfully manipulating the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to receive salaries while under suspension.
Mrs. Esther was arraigned on Monday, May 12, before Justice
Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on a three-count
filed by the ICPC.
According to the Commission, the defendant allegedly forged
a letter of posting dated 20th January 1998, with Reference No.
HCSF/CMO/EMD/AOD/013/1/30, purportedly issued by the Office of the Head of
Civil Service of the Federation.
ICPC investigations further revealed that the posting
instruction, gazette, appointment letter, and confirmation letter submitted by
Mrs. Esther, who held the position of Principal Administrative Officer in the
Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, were all
falsified.
Verification by the Federal Civil Service Commission
confirmed that no such records existed in its database.
Additionally, the defendant reportedly failed to honour an
invitation from a committee established by the Head of Service to investigate
the alleged fake posting. This failure led to the suspension of her salary in
November 2021, pending the outcome of the investigation.
However, it was later discovered that Mrs. Esther, who had
access as a role player on the IPPIS platform, illegally restored her salary in
January 2022 without obtaining approval from the Office of the Head of the
Civil Service of the Federation.
Count One of the charge read: “That you, Oluwafunmilayo
Esther (F), on or about 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, with intent to commit fraud, did forge a document to wit: a
posting letter dated 17th June 2021, with Reference No.
HCSF/CMO/EMD/002/S.12/T.4.110, purportedly emanating from the Office of the
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, bearing your name, Moses
Oluwafunmilayo Esther, and six (6) others; and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the
FCT.”
When the charges were read, the defendant pleaded “not
guilty.”
Her counsel, Mr. Chima Okason, prayed the court to grant her bail on liberal
terms.
The application was not opposed by ICPC’s counsel, Mrs. Olubunmi Ayo.
Honourable Justice Halilu granted bail under the following
conditions: the defendant must produce two credible sureties, each of whom must
be a director in the federal civil service and currently serving in any
parastatal within the FCT.
The sureties must present evidence of their first and most
recent promotions, which will be verified by the court registrar.
They must also provide a written undertaking that, should
the defendant jump bail, they will be remanded in custody in her place.
The presiding judge subsequently adjourned proceedings till
the 8th of July, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.
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