A former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Dibu Ojerinde, on Tuesday, in Abuja opted for a plea bargain with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission in order to get a soft landing.
Ojerinde is standing trial by the ICPC over alleged N5bn fraud.
At the Federal High Court in Abuja where his trial was scheduled to commence, Ojerinde pleaded with Justice Obiora Egwuatu to give him 24 hours to settle himself with ICPC through plea bargain instead of formal trial.
His new lead counsel, Ibrahim Ishyaku (SAN), told the court that his client prefers out-of-court settlement known as plea bargain to resolve the matter.
According to him, the trial could commence if, after 24 hours, the matter could not be resolved.
He 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.”
The lawyer to ICPC, Ebenezer Sogunle, did not object to the request but insisted that the trial would proceed in case the plea bargain fails.
The ICPC had on July 8, 2021, arraigned the former JAMB Registrar on an 18 charges bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N5bn.
He was said to have committed the offence during his tenure as Registrar of the National Examination Council and JAMB.
Ojerinde, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was later admitted to bail in the sum of N200m.
Meanwhile, Justice Egwuatu, has fixed February 9, for report of the plea bargain to be presented.