The governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, yesterday, paid an unexpected visit to some officials of the state's treasury department, currently held at the Medium Security Prison, Kuje, Abuja, over a fraud case.

The state's Accountant General, Francis Okokuro; Director of Treasury, Abott Clinton and his predecessor, Anthony Ikhoboh, were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on March 16 and are currently standing trial for alleged financial misconduct.

The officials are being tried for money laundering and diversion of public funds to the tune of about N100 billion.

Mr. Sylva expressed his displeasure with the anti-graft agency over its handling of the matter and accused the EFCC of trying to compromise laws which are clear that an accused must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

"The EFCC has continued to treat these officers as if they are already guilty when the allegations against them have not been tested in a court of competent jurisdiction", Mr Sylva said.

Insisting the accusation was politically motivated, Mr. Sylva said he was worried that the EFCC, rather than play the role of an umpire, is getting involved in a political game.

"The allegations against the Bayelsa State officials are steeped in politics. As far our laws go, the EFCC is not a political party. This is a commission that was established for the purpose of fighting corruption. Regrettably, it has chosen to dabble into politics. Why should the umpire descend into the arena?"

Political plots

Mr. Sylva also claimed that the state government has also uncovered plots by some politicians, to stage protests in Yenagoa, the state's capital, against his government and warned the politicians in and out of the state "not to set in motion a chain of events, whose end, they are not in a position to determine."

The defendants were charged to court by the EFCC on March 23, despite a court order from the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, that the arrested officials should be released.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, while hearing the case, however, ordered that the arrested officials be kept at Kuje Prisons until the case comes up on April 13.



Link:

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5548568-146/sylva_visits_detained_officials__.csp

He will be the next to escape dressed as a woman. Bloody cabal houseboy!