Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arrested former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva, after he had failed to honour the commission's invitation to appear before it on Tuesday.
Rather than appear before the EFCC, he got his lawyers to inform the commission that he was unable to appear because he was sick, and hospitalised in Lagos. The lawyer had promised to appear with his client on Tuesday, but he failed to do so.
Sylva was arrested at his No. 3, Niger Street, Maitama, Abuja home, according to a statement by the commission's spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren.
EFCC, in another statement also yesterday, said it would today begin the trial of Chairman, Ontario Oil and Gas, Mr. Walter Wagbatsoma, and four other suspects implicated in a N1.9 billion subsidy scam before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja.
There was a tinge of drama to Sylva’s arrest as the former governor’s private security guards refused EFCC operatives access into his house, which led to a hide-and-seek game between the two parties.
The EFCC in its statement gave a graphic detail of how the former governor was arrested, saying:"On arrival at his resident at about 10am, the commission’s operatives were told that the ex-governor was not in town but they insisted on conducting a search on the house having obtained a warrant from the court.
"Ironically, the ex-governor who was said to be out of town was later found hiding in a dingy corner in the upper chamber of his expansive mansion.
“He was immediately whisked away and is currently being interrogated at the Abuja headquarters of the anti- graft agency.”
The statement added that during the search, vital documents were obtained from Sylva’s home.
According to the commission, Sylva is being grilled in connection with fresh evidence linking him with a bouquet of fraudulent transactions that border on money laundering. Part of the new evidence includes a number of eye-popping real estate acquisitions in Abuja.
EFCC warned that it would no longer tolerate the antics of suspects who treat its invitation with levity.
The commission has also announced the plan to commence the trial of Wagbatsoma and four other suspects implicated in a N1.9 billion subsidy scam.
The four others, according to a statement made available to THISDAY are: Adaoha Ugo-Ngadi; Fakuade Babafemi Ebenezer; Ezekiel Olaleye Ejidele and Ontario Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.
At the last hearing of the case, counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had informed the court that the prosecution was ready to proceed with the trial. He presented the first prosecution witness, Damon Yelma, who addressed the court that the defendants were arraigned based on a petition to the commission by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison- Madueke.
According to him, EFCC investigations uncovered a discrepancy in the quantity of products supplied by Ontario Oil and Gas, and the quantity for which the company was paid. The witness said in the third quarter of 2010, the company discharged 12,000,000 litres of fuel to Integrated Oil depot and claimed to have discharged 19,000,000 litres while claiming the subsidy payment for the litres not delivered.
He also said that, in the fourth quarter of 2010, the same company imported and discharged petroleum products to Obat Oil and Gas depot. The quantity at that time as shown on the depot shore tank was 10,446,544 litres, but Ontario Oil and Gas claimed that the products supplied was 19,523,892 litres, and went ahead to claim subsidy for the same number of litres.
Counsel to the first, second and fifth defendants, Mr. Wole Olanipekun, SAN asked the witness if during the entire investigations there was any evidence that the tank farms used to discharge the products belongs to any of the defendants and he said “no”.
The defence counsel then presented other documents from the proof of evidence to the witness for clarification and he obliged.
Olanipekun thereafter, asked for an adjournment, saying the defence team just received additional documents attached to the proof of evidence, which it will need time to study.
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