The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has slammed the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, with a six-count charge concerning his alleged mismanagement of N2.45 billion while in office.
Chief Sylva has not been seen in public since he was sacked by the Supreme Court last month along with four other governors on the ground that their tenure expired in May last year.
He claims persecution by his party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan who is a Bayelsan, for allegedly denying him the party’s ticket for the February 11, 2012 governorship election.
Chief Seriake Dickson won that election.
Prosecuting the case against Chief Sylva is Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo.
The accused is alleged to have committed the offences through proxies under the false pretence of using the amount to augment salaries of the Bayelsa State Government.
The alleged offences are contrary to Sections 14(1) and 17(a) and punishable under Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004.
They are also contrary to Sections 1(1)(b) and 8(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2004.
The proxies allegedly used by the former governor are one 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 John Daukoru with Account No. 04800250000418 in United Bank for Africa Plc.
The charge reads as follows:
COUNT 1: 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 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 2: 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 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 3: 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 (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.
COUNT 4: 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 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 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 N2,000,000,000.00 (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.
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 N2,000,000,000.00 (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.