Sylva’s $14.8m probe not political – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has stated that the declaration of the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, wanted for $14.8m alleged fraud, was not political.

The spokesperson for EFCC, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this to our correspondent on Friday.

According to him, Sylva was declared wanted after he jumped bail, adding that the former governor of Bayelsa State had been under investigation for a long time and was on administrative bail.

He dismissed claims that the commission’s decision to declare Sylva wanted was politically motivated.

EFCC had on Monday declared Sylva wanted over an alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257 provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board for the suspended Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical project.

The development comes 27 days after the House of Representatives resolved to investigate the alleged mismanagement of a $35m investment by the NCDMB in a modular refinery that never materialised in the Niger Delta.

The motion, moved by a member of the House, Billy Osawaru, questioned why Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited no longer existed despite the significant federal investment.

Sylva also recently made headlines when soldiers raided his Abuja residence on October 25 over alleged links to an attempted coup.

His younger brother, Paga, who is his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, and his driver were arrested during the operation.

But the Media and Public Affairs aide to Sylva, Julius Bokoru, countered the EFCC’s position, saying the former minister received no formal communication from the commission before he was declared wanted.

“No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol was observed — only a sudden digital proclamation designed, it would seem, to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility,” he said.

Bokoru also alleged political interference in the matter, claiming that accusations against Sylva had repeatedly shifted. He added that the former minister, who is currently in the United Kingdom for a medical check-up, intends to honour the EFCC’s invitation once he is cleared to return.

“For clarity, I have not been in direct communication with Chief Sylva. However, from available information and prior official briefings, it is important to restate that Chief Sylva will, in line with his respect for lawful institutions and due process, honour the invitation of the EFCC once he concludes his ongoing medical check-up in the United Kingdom,” he added.

Reacting to reports that the former minister was not properly invited before being declared wanted, the EFCC spokesperson maintained that Sylva was placed on administrative bail but failed to comply with its conditions.

He said, “We have invited him before; he came and was placed on administrative bail. But after he failed to keep a date with his bail conditions, he had to be declared wanted.

“We followed due process in doing that. It is not true that we did not contact him. It is not true that we did not follow procedure. If we did not follow procedure, how could we have put him on administrative bail? There is no political colouration except in the imagination of our detractors.”(Punch)