Fresh facts emerged yesterday on why the plea bargain of a former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Adedibu Ojerinde, failed.
The ex-registrar is standing trial for alleged N5 billion fraud before a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on July 8, 2021 arraigned the former JAMB Registrar on an 18-count charge bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of over N5 billion.
The offences were allegedly committed when he was the registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO) and JAMB.
About 13 immovable properties owned and controlled by Ojerinde either by himself or through his agents or proxies have been forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The former registrar, through his counsel, Mr. Ibrahim Ishyaku (SAN), on Tuesday urged Justice Egwuatu to give him 24 hours to allow him enter into an agreement for out-of-court settlement with ICPC.
Ishyaku said: “My lord, our plea is that we (should) be given 24 hours to explore the possibility of plea bargain to resolve this matter and we ask that the trial be adjourned for the period to enable us come up with our terms of settlement.”
According to the Nation Newspaper, investigation however revealed that ICPC and the accused person could not reach what a source described as “favourable terms.”
Sources privy to the offers confirmed that the talks between the two parties had collapsed.
“Ojerinde said since he has forfeited many assets to the government, the system should temper justice with mercy,” one of the sources said.
“He agreed to plead guilty in court but was against custodial sentence – spending some jail terms in prison.
“The plea bargain failed because the former JAMB registrar asked for a non-custodial sentence, meaning he cannot be given jail terms if his plea bargaining was accepted.
“Secondly, he also asked in his conditions that his children should not be prosecuted by the anti-corruption agency.”
The anti-graft commission however rejected his plea bargain.
Asked the next step, another source said: “The trial of Ojerinde will continue.”
“He wants to have his cake and eat it without deterrence. This is not the way of justice.
“The scale of justice ought to be balanced in favour of the system and not just Ojerinde.”
ICPC counsel, Ebenezer Sogunle, had on Tuesday told the court that Ojerinde’s trial would proceed if the plea bargain failed.
