The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is unrelenting in its bid to nail former Governor of Bayelsa, Chief Timipre Sylva, as it has filed fresh corruption charges against him before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the fresh 50 counts of corruption charges were filed on Friday.
It would be recalled that Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday, dismissed one of two fraud cases instituted by the anti-graft agency against Sylva.
Justice Mohammed had held that the case constituted an abuse of court process.
But the EFCC faulted the judge’s decision, saying it was premature as the accused persons had not taken any plea before the court.
Similarly, Justice Evoh Chukwu, also of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on June 1, 2015, struck out the other case against the former Bayelsa governor following EFCC’s application for the withdrawal of the case.
However, in the fresh 50 counts charges filed on Friday, Sylva was charged alongside Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku.
They were accused of using three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to move about N19.2bn from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012, under false pretence of using the withdrawn money to augment salaries of the state government workers.
EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that fresh charges had been filed. He said his agency awaits the assignment of the case to pave the way for the arraignment of Sylva and others.