BEVERLY HILLS, June 10, (THEWILL) – Chief Timipre Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is a free man again after a Federal High Court in Abuja, Wednesday dismissed the N19.2bn alleged fraud suit filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The suit first filed over two years ago had earlier suffered series of adjournments and delays.
THEWILL recalls that the EFCC had over a week ago amended the charge sheet in the suit where it dropped 6 counts against the former governor.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the court ruled that the suit was an abuse of court process while ruling on a notice of preliminary objection filed by Sylva’s lawyers.
Justice Mohammed said the charges instituted against the politician by the EFCC were an abuse of court processes since they were based on the same set of dealings involved in the N2.45bn suit that the EFCC withdrew last week against Sylva in the matter before Justice Chukwu.
The EFCC had accused Sylva alongside Francis Okonkwo, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku of allegedly using three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to transfer about N19.2 billion from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012, under false pretence of using the withdrawn money to augment salaries of the state government workers.
It said Sylva laundered the funds and used them for his personal use.
