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Former Governor Timipre Sylva recovers 48 houses from EFCC

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Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, has recovered 48 houses previously seized from him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The anti-graft agency had come under fire recently for returning the seized houses to the former governor who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress.

Recall that the EFCC had on January 3, 2013 taken possession of 48 properties belonging to the former governor while he was on trial.

However, the EFCC said Sylva got away because of the judiciary which it described as an obstacle to the war on corruption.

The EFCC blamed Justice Adeniyi Ademola for the outcome of the trial, stating that he was the one who thwarted the case in a controversial ruling.

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The EFCC said, “He (Sylva) was facing 42 charges before Justice Mohammed of the FHC Abuja. The said properties were forfeited as part of the trial. The EFCC applied to consolidate charges against him before Justice Mohammed after the DPP, on June 1, 2015, withdrew its own charges.

“On June 10, 2015, rather than hear the case, Justice Mohammed dismissed the charges without him and co-defendants taking their pleas. The EFCC expressed its discontent at the ruling, and Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Abuja reassigned the case to Justice Ademola of the FHC Abuja.

“On June 12, 2015 the EFCC filed fresh charges and on July 9, 2015 and brought 50 counts against him before Justice Ademola. The EFCC had expected a speedy/fair trial. But no! Few days to the Bayelsa State governorship election, Justice Ademola freed him without pleas taken.”

The explanation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, however, did not go down well with a large number of its Twitter followers as they asked the anti graft agency not to be biased in treating cases based on their party affiliations.