A gavel
A high court sitting in Asaba, Delta, has sentenced John Adjeke Akpoghene, an official of the state house of assembly, to two years imprisonment over N14.5 million salary fraud.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had charged Akpoghene to court on a one-count charge.
The commission accused the official of receiving double salaries from the Delta state house of assembly and Ughelli south LGA.
In a statement on Friday, Azuka Ogugua, ICPC spokesperson, said S. Chibuzor, counsel to the commission, told the court that Akpoghene fraudulently received the sum of N14,525,550 as double salary.
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Ogugua said the convicted official received the money over a period of four years from the state assembly and the local government council.
In his defence, Akpoghene told the court that he was unaware that it was a crime to have two government jobs and receive salaries from both at the same time.
In his ruling, Onome Marshall-Umokoro, the trial judge, sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N500,000
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The judge further ruled that Akpoghene should make necessary monthly refunds to the house of assembly service commission.
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