The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Friday, filed a 6-count criminal charge against the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr Festus Keyamo, perfected the filing processes at the high court registry around 2pm today.
Specifically, the former governor who was denied a return ticket by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the recently concluded gubernatorial election in the state, was accused of siphoning over N6.5 billion from the Bayelsa State treasury between October 2009 and February 2010.
He will be answering to charges bothering on conspiracy, money laundering and obtaining by false pretence, contrary to sections 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.
Beside accusing the ex-governor of looting public fund under the guise of using the monies to augment salaries of the Bayelsa state government, the anti-graft agency in the charge sheet it entered at the court registry, further identified three persons whose Bank accounts, it said was used as conduits pipes for transfer of the illicit funds.
It gave their names as Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in Fin Bank, Plc, Enson Benmer Limited with Account No. 6152030001946, in First Bank, Plc and one John Daukoru with Account No. 04800250000418, in United Bank for Africa Plc.
The charge reads: “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: conversion of properties and resources amounting to N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) belonging to Bayelsa State Government and derived from an illegal act, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the said amount and you therebycommitted an offence contrary to Section17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act), 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.
“That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 22nd of January, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N380,000,000.00(Three Hundred and Eighty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in FinBank, 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 section14(1) of the same Act.
“That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 5th of February, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N50,000,000.00(Fifty Million Naira), 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 (ProhibitionAct) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.
“That you, Timipre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 5th of February, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal HighCourt, converted the sum of N20,000,000.00(Twenty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one John Daukoru with Account No. 04800250000418, in United Bank for Africa, Plc, which sumyou 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 (ProhibitionAct) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.
“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 N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira), 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.
“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 N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) 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.”
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