Trouble For Timipre Sylva As EFCC Files Fresh Charges Against Him

These are troubled times for the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh charges of corruption against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday. 

Sylva is being charged alongside three others – Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku – for allegedly using three companies, Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to steal N19.2 billion from the Bayelsa State government during Sylva’s administration.

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The fraud allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2012, under the pretence that they were being used to augment salaries of the state government workers, Premium Times report.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed that the agency is waiting for the assignment of the case by the court in order to fully commence prosecution.

The commission’s 42-count charge of stealing against the ex-governor was earlier dismissed by the court on Wednesday. The court had accused the anti-graft body of abusing court process.

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Two weeks ago, the EFCC agency withdrew part of the charges – a N2 billion fraud case – against the former governor.

The withdrawn charges – a six-count charge of fraud was a prelude to the consolidation of all the charges against him.

The commission had two cases against the former governor pending before two Federal High Courts in Abuja, and needed to consolidate them, Uwajeren said.

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Recently, fourteen foreign nationals were arraigned before a federal high court in Lagos by EFCC, for allegedly engaging in oil bunkering in Nigeria.

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