Suspect in ghost workers’ syndicate has 200 bank accounts – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wednesday, told an Abuja High Court that one of the nine suspects docked over allegations of inserting several ghost workers on the payroll of the Federal Government operated about 200 different accounts with banks in Abuja, while another has over 50 houses.

The defendants— Dayo, Opeyemi, Adedokun, Sylvanus, Ayodeji, Dada, Dada, Ejeh and Taiwo— were arraigned before an Abuja High Court at Apo. According to the charge sheet, most of the defendants were civil servants from government agencies such as the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources; Ministry of the Environment and the Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC.



EFCC accused them of creating and inserting fictitious names in the payroll of the Federal Government for salaries and allowances without official consent, thereby causing the loss of several millions of Naira. The offence they committed was said be in contravention of Section 289 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge even as they were remanded in prison custody by trial Justice Peter Kekemeke based on an application by EFCC lawyer, Mr. Mukhtar Mohammed. EFCC applied for them to remain in prison custody pending the commencement of their trial. Plea by the defendants to be granted bail, pending determination of charge against them, was refused yesterday. Whereas the female suspects were remanded in Suleja Prison in Niger State, the court remanded the male defendants in Kuje Prison.

Vanguard