Former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipreye Sylva, has obtained the permission of an Abuja Federal High Court to travel to South Africa to receive medical attention for an unspecified ailment.
It was the third time the former governor would seek the court’s permission to travel abroad since a criminal charge of money laundering was filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Adamu Bello, who is presiding over the case, had refused Sylva’s earlier bids to travel abroad.
Sylva is currently on administrative bail and part of the bail conditions is that he should deposit his travelling passport with the court registrar, and also, must not travel outside the country without seeking and obtaining the permission of the court.
In the application filed by his lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the former governor asked for the release of his international passport to enable him to undertake a medical trip to South Africa.
Sylva informed the court that although his earlier wish to travel abroad to take care of his health was not granted, he was still in dire need for urgent medical attention outside the country, having exhausted all local options.
He averred that his inability to undertake his annual checkup abroad, since the EFCC filed the charge against him, had compounded the deterioration of his health.
The EFCC had opposed the application, noting that it had just filed a fresh, 42-count criminal charge against Sylva.
The anti-graft agency argued that Sylva’s bid to travel abroad was merely a ploy to frustrate the fresh charge.
Also, the EFCC doubted Sylva’s claim that he was sick and in need of medical attention.
In his ruling on the application, Justice Bello said he would give Sylva the benefit of the doubt and allow him to travel to South Africa and return within 28 days.