The accused civil servants have also been charged to court by the EFCC
The five civil servants undergoing criminal trial for the massive police pension fraud have been suspended indefinitely from their duties, the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) announced on Thursday.
The officials, including a permanent secretary, a director and an assistant director, are accused of stealing N32.8 billion police pension money and have been charged to court on corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The officers are Atiku Kigo (Permanent Secretary), Ahmed Wada (Director), John Yusuf (Assistant Director), Veronica Onyegbula (Cashier) and Sani Zira (ICT Officer).
The complex scheme, which involved several transfers of huge sums between banks, use of illegal accounts and falsification of names, is said to have been conducted between the officials and a former Director of Police Pension Fund, Esai Dangabar, who also has been charged.
In a recent statement to the EFCC, Dangabar said part of the money was shared among the officials and the pension committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The National Assembly, however, denied the allegations, calling it a “pack of lies” and demanding proof.
In a brief statement on Thursday, the Civil Service Commission said it had approved the suspension of the affected civil servants effective March 29, 2012.
“The Federal Civil Service Commission has approved that the five serving federal civil servants recently charged to court in connection with involvement in alleged fraudulent practices at the Police Pension Office be suspended from office with effect from March 29, 2012,” the statement signed by Tope Ajakaiye, Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, read.
