Court dismisses N20bn fraud charges against Sylva, others

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A Federal High Court ‎in Abuja has dismissed the entire 50 counts of fraud preferred by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in ‎the forthcoming Bayelsa State governorship election, Timipre Sylva.

The charges arose from the allegations of a N20bn-fraud against him in his previous tenure as governor of the state.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola in a ‎ruling on Thursday upheld the preliminary objection filed against the charges by Sylva and other co-accused.

The court in dismissing the charges held that the 50 counts constituted “complete abuse” of court process as they were exactly the same with the set of charges earlier dismissed by another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Ahmed Mohammed.

Justice Ademola also held that part of the charges were exactly the same set earlier withdrawn before yet another judge of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, Justice Evoh Chukwu.

“It is trite that what constitutes an abuse of court process includes instituting multiplicity of action on the same subject matter and the same parties even if they have legal rights to begin the action,” he held.

Source: Punch