N6.5 billion fraud: EFCC seizes Sylva’s property

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Thursday seized 48 choice property belonging to the former Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Timpre Sylva, who is being prosecuted at a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged misappropriation of N6.46 billion state funds when he was governor of the state.

The interim forfeiture of the property followed an order by the Justice A. R Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja obtained on December 28, 2012.

Assets belonging to the former governor against which a forfeiture order was obtained by the EFCC are: a mansion at 3 River Niger Street, plot 3192 Cadastral zone AO, Maitama District Abuja; nine units (comprising six one bedroom and 3 two bedroom apartments) at 8 Sefadu Street Wuse zone 2, plot 262 Cadastral zone AO2, Wuse Abuja; and 2 units duplexes at 5 Oguta Street, plot 906 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja.

Others are: a duplex at Plot 1271 Nike Street Cadastral zone AO5, Maitama District Abuja;   a duplex at Phase 1 Unit No. 1 (Villa 1) Palm Springs Gold Estate, Cachez Turkey Projects Limited, Mpape, Abuja;  10 units of one-room apartments at 8 Mistrata Street plot 232 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja;  5 units duplexes at Plot No 1070 Dakibiyu District Cadastral zone B10, Abuja; 16 units service apartments at Plot 1181 Thaba Tseka Crescent, Off IBB Way, Wuse 11, Abuja and  3 units of three- bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766. Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja.

One of the seized property.

Sylva was first arraigned on Tuesday June 5, 2012.

One of the six count charge against him reads: “ That you, Timpre 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 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.

The substantive suit has been adjourned to 10th January, 2013, for trial

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