Ready For Ministerial Position, Court Strikes Out Charges Against Timipre Sylva Over N2.45BN Fraud

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the six count charges preferred against former governor of Bayelsa State Timipre Sylva over alleged N2.45 billion fraud.

Justice Evo Chukwu yesterday struck out the charges following an application withdrawing them by the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Chukwu held that by the provisions of section 174 (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, the Attorney General of the Federation can commence and discontinue criminal proceedings against any person, adding that such functions can be delegated to the DPP.

He consequently discharged the accused person and ordered the release of his international passport.

Sylva was on May 18 re-arraigned before the court by the EFCC after the case was transferred from the former trial judge, Justice Adamu Bello, who has retired.

The former governor was in 2012 accused of converting various sums valued at N2 billion belonging to the state to bank overdraft for purposes of paying workers’ salary between October, 2009 and February 2010.