EFCC files fresh corruption charges against ex-Gov Sylva

Economic and
Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC,
yesterday 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using the withdrawn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 antigraft
agency comes
two days after Justice
Ahmed Mohammed of
the Federal High Court
dismissed the 42- count
charge of stealing brought
against Sylva and his coaccused
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earlier, withdrawn similar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 Evoh 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