Determined to nail Sylva EFCC files fresh N19.2bn scam suit

Undeterred that its case against former governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State was on Wednesday thrown out by the court, the EFCC has filed another 50 counts of corruption against him.

EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the fresh counts of corruption were filed on Friday, before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In the fresh suit, Sylva is again charged alongside Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku.

They are 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Limited – to move about N19.2bn from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012, under false pretences of using the withdrawn money to augment salaries of the state government workers.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed had 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.

Earlier on June 1, 2015, Justice Evoh Chukwu (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja, struck out the other case against Sylva, following EFCC’s application for the withdrawal of the case.

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