The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, June 12, 2015 filed fresh corruption charges
against a former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, at the Federal High
Court, Abuja.
Sylva is charged alongside
Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku,. They allegedly used three
companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and
Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to move about N19.2 billion
from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012, under false pretence of using
the withdrawn money to augment salaries of the state government workers.
The action of the anti-graft
agency comes two days after Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court
dismissed the 42- count charge of stealing brought against Sylva and his
co-accused by the EFCC, with the excuse that the prosecution’s application to
consolidate the charges against the defendants amounted to an abuse of court
process.
The Commission faulted the
ruling on the ground that it was premature as the accused persons had not taken
any plea before the court.
The action of the trail judge
stalled the move by the anti-graft agency to consolidate the charges against
the former governor having, days earlier, withdrawn similar charges pending
before Justice E.S. Chukwu of the same court.
The anti-graft agency awaits
the assignment of the case, to pave way for the arraignment of Sylva and
others.
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