Ondo suspends five civil servants over N200m fraud

FIVE senior staff of the Ondo State Civil Service have been handed over to the state police command over an alleged N200m fraud.

The workers who were subsequently suspended by the state government were alleged to have diverted funds meant for the coffers of the state into their private pockets.

Parading the suspects on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations officer, (PPRO) Mr Femi Joseph, listed the names of the civil servants to include Mrs Oluwatoyin Abiodun, Ojo Ayodeji, David Omoyajowo, Isaac Solomon and Femi Tuki, while an accomplice, Mr Ayadi Orimisan, had been helping the suspects to defraud the government was also paraded.

They were alleged of issuing fake tax clearance, certificate of roadworthiness and fake driver’s licence.

Joseph said they would be charged to court as soon as the police concluded its investigations.

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However, the Special Special Assistant to the governor on Special Duties, Dr Doyin Odebowale said interim investigation had been carried out which confirmed the suspects had been defrauding the state government.

According to him, the state government had been defrauded to the tune of N200m saying they were handed to the police for proper investigation and prosecution.

One of the suspects, Mrs Abiodun who confirmed that they had been suspended by the state civil service commission, denied the allegation, saying the allegation was not only untrue but a calculated attempt to dent their image.

She described the allegation as lies saying all the money made in their different agencies and ministry passed through the state government coffers.

Abiodun said it was unfortunate that after they were suspended and investigated by the state government in line with civil service rule and still brought them to the Police Command for the parade.

But one of the suspects, Orimisan, admitted that he was contracted by the civil servants to help them divert the fund meant for the State Government.

The accomplice said he helped the suspects in issuing tax documents including fake receipt, roadworthiness for vehicles and licences to unsuspecting people.