THE SIX COUNT CHARGE AGAINST SYLVA

By Emma Amaize & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday dragged the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timpre Sylva to the Abuja High Court over alleged fraudulent stealing of N6.5 billion, property of the state government

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The EFCC also said that Sylva among other things was allegedly involved in obtaining money under false pretences, an offence popularly referred to as 419.

A six count charge with number. FHC/ABJ/CR/23/2012, filed against Chief Sylva by the EFCC’s Counsel, Festus Keyamo read:

Count one: “Timipre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire to commit a crime to wit: conversion of properties and resources amounting to N2 billion belonging to Bayelsa State Government and derived from an illegal act, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the said amount and  thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act), 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act”

Count two: “That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the January 22, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N380 million, property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in Fin Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.

Count three: “That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about February 5, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N50 billion, property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Enson Benmer Limited with Account No.
6152030001946, in First Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.

Count four: “That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the February 5, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N20 million, property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one John Daukoru with Account No. 04800250000418, in United Bank for Africa, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.

Count 5: “That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire to commit a crime to wit: inducing Union Bank, Plc, with the intent to defraud, to deliver to Bayelsa State Government the sum of N2 billion, under the false pretence of using the amount to augment salaries of the Bayelsa State Government and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2004.

COUNT 6: “That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor  of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court induced Union Bank, Plc, with the intent to defraud, to grant an overdraft facility of the sum of N2 billion, to the Bayelsa State Government under the false pretence of using the amount to augment salaries of the Bayelsa State Government and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2004 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.