In
a move to consolidate all the charges against former Bayelsa State
governor, Timipre Sylva, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) on Monday withdrew the six-count charge of fraud before Justice
E. S Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
The
withdrawal, according to the EFCC, is to allow it consolidate the
charges against the former governor, pending before two Federal High
Courts in Abuja.
In the charge which was
withdrawn today, Sylva was being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly
converting N2bn worth of properties and resources belonging to Bayelsa
State between 2009 and 2010, during his tenure as governor of the State.
The former governor also has similar charges, a 42-count
charge, pending against him before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal
High Court, Abuja.
In the charge, the former governor along
with Francis Okokwo, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku, allegedly
conspired and 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2009 and 2012, under false pretence of using the withdrawn money to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.
At today’s
sitting, O. J Nnadi, SAN, representing the Director of Public
Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Muhammed Diri, prayed the court to withdraw the
charges against the accused.
Nnadi, however did not clearly state the conditions upon which the application for withdrawal was being sought.
But
counsel to EFCC, J.A Ojogbane, told the court that, there had been
preliminary arguments in respect of a similar case before Justice
Mohammed which, according to him, necessitated the application to
withdraw the case at hand.
In his response, Sylva’s counsel,
O.1.Oloundare, SAN, prayed the court to dismiss the charge, since the
prosecution had sought to withdraw it.
He also pleaded with the
court to order the EFCC to release the international passport of his
client. After listening to the submissions of both counsel, Justice
Chukwu discharged the accused and ordered the EFCC to release his
international passport.
Credit: Paul Obi/ThisDay
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