ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federal Ministry of Justice, M.S. Diri, on Monday withdrew the N2.45 billion fraud charges instituted against former governor of ?Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Consequently, the presiding judge ordered that his passport be released to him.
The charges were withdrawn on the grounds that a similar charge was pending against Sylva before another judge of the Federal High Court.
Sylva was accused of offences, including conversion of various sums of money belonging to the state with the aim of concealing their illicit origins.
He was also accused of inducing Union Bank Plc to fraudulently grant him a N2 billion overdraft facility under the pretext of using the money to augment workers’ salary.
He allegedly committed the offences in conspiracy with other unnamed persons said to be at large.
The EFCC had on May 18, 2015 re-arraigned Sylva before Justice Evoh Chukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Chukwu, in his ruling, struck out the case as he held that the Attorney-General of the Federation possessed the power under the Constitution to delegate his power to issue a fiat as it was done in the case.
Sylva’s lawyer, Israel Olorundare (SAN), who did not oppose the application for the withdrawal of the suit, also urged the court to restrain the EFCC from arresting Sylva based on the charges that were withdrawn.
The EFCC had on May 18, 2015 re-arraigned Sylva for the offences he allegedly committed between October 2009 and February 2010 as governor of Bayelsa State.
Credit: Daily Independent (Nigeria)
