N6.46b fraud: I don’t have 48 properties in Abuja –Sylva

Embattled former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, on Saturday, said that he did not have up to 48 properties in Abuja but instead three which jointly belonged to him and his wife.
Sylva, who is standing trial over an alleged N6.46 billion fraud, also described the purported seizure of his properties by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as “media trial and condemnation without getting to the root and substance of the facts.”
He also accused the Attorney-General of the Federation and the EFCC of disregarding the order of Justice M.M. Kolo of an Abuja High Court delivered on December 27, 2012.
According to him, he did not have 48 properties anywhere in the world, adding that the three properties he had in Abuja and which were covered by the order of the FCT High Court were bought before he became governor of Bayelsa State.
Sylva, who made these assertions in a statement issued by his counsel,  Benson Ibezim, and obtained by Sunday Tribune said instead of obeying the court order, the EFCC was writing to the occupants of the properties covered by the court order.
He further stated that, “We seriously frown on  the practice of media trial and condemnation without getting to the root and substance of the facts. Trials are done in courts of law and not on the pages of newspapers where the general public is fed with all manner of falsehood, including imaginary 48 houses. We humbly and respectfully call on the media to exercise due diligence in their reporting.
“We were astonished to read from virtually all Nigerian newspapers that 48 houses belonging to Chief Timipre Sylva were seized. In the first instance, Chief Timipre Sylva is not having 48 properties anywhere in the world. The three properties he has in Abuja had been secured by an order of court granted by F.C.T. High Court and the Attorney General of the Federation and EFCC have been duly served since the 27th day of December, 2012.
“The three properties covered by the order of F.C.T. High Court are properties that were legitimately acquired by Chief Timipre Sylva and his wife before he became the governor of Bayelsa State. The records are quite clear on these properties as there is no iota of doubt as to the period of their acquisition, more so as these properties were duly declared by Chief Timipre Sylva on his assumption of office as the governor of Bayelsa State.”
Ibezim said when Sylva became aware of the plan by the EFCC to humiliate him by throwing him out of his house that was bought before he became governor of Bayelsa state, “we wrote a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and the chairman of the EFCC. Till date both of them did not respond to the letters.”
He said, “It must be observed that we became aware of the interim order of attachment granted to the EFCC on January 4, 2013 as same was attached to the court process that was served on us by the EFCC on the said 4th January, 2013. It is elementary knowledge of law that a party can only be bound by an order of court upon service of the court order on the party.  Chief Timipre Sylva was not aware of the existence of any order of the Federal High court against him as none was served on him.”
“It is worthy to note that the Attorney General of the Federation and EFCC were duly served with the order of F.C.T. High Court on the 27th day of December, 2012. Rather than obeying the order of the court, the EFCC is taking steps in respect of the properties by writing to the occupants of the properties covered by the order of court,”