FORMER Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva faces the prospect of more prosecution for corruption after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed 50 fresh charges against him in Abuja yesterday.
Last week, Governor Sylva has been cleared of 42 charges of corruption by the federal high court in Abuja with the judge ruling that the case constituted an abuse of court process. He had been charged with involvement in a N19.2bn corruption scam between October 2009 and February 2012 as governor of Bayelsa State. Earlier this month, the director of public prosecution, Mr M S Diri had withdrawn another six-court charge against Governor Sylva, wherein he was accused of involvement in the illegal diversion of N6.5bn from the coffers of Bayelsa State.
Following the withdrawal of the case and the striking out of the latest one, Governor Sylva was cleared of all charges and was a free man but yesterday, all this changed. EFCC prosecutors filed 50 fresh charges against former governor at the Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday in which Governor Sylva was charged alongside Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun and Samuel Ogbuku.
They are accused of using three companies known as Marlin Maritime, Eat Catering Services and Halloween Blue Construction and Logistics to move about N19.2bn from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012.
It is alleged that this did this under the false pretence of using the withdrawn money to augment the salaries of state government workers. EFCC head of media and publicity Wilson Uwujaren, said his agency was awaiting the assignment of the case to pave way for the arraignment of Governor Sylva and others.
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