The {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) has declared former Minister of State, Petroleum Assets, Timipre Silva, needed over alleged diversion of $14.8 million earmarked for the development of a refinery.
This was disclosed in a discover posted by the EFCC and signed by Dele Oyewale, the Fee’s Head, Media & Publicity.
“The general public is hereby notified that TIMIPRE SYLVA, a former Minister of State, Petroleum Assets, and former Governor of Bayelsa State, whose {photograph} seems above is needed by the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) in an alleged case of Conspiracy and Dishonest Conversion of $14,859,257- a part of funds injected by the Nigerian Content material Improvement and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic Worldwide Refinery and Petrochemical Restricted for the development of a Refinery,” the discover partly reads.
In accordance with the Fee, Sylva, 61, who hails from Brass Native Authorities Space of Bayelsa State, is required to clear the air on the contemporary allegations.
Citing the order of the courtroom per Justice D.I. Dipeolu, the Fee quoted: “An order is made issuing a warrant to the applicant or any officer of the Fee, police, or any legislation enforcement officer for the arrest of the respondent for the aim of bringing him earlier than the Fee to reply to the legal offence he’s alleged to have dedicated.”
The event marks one other spherical of excessive high-profile probe of an ex-public official.
The event comes days after the Home of Representatives resolved to launch an investigation into the deserted $35 million modular refinery venture in Brass, Bayelsa State, referred to as Atlantic Worldwide Refinery and Petrochemical Restricted.
At plenary, lawmakers have been knowledgeable {that a} petition was despatched to the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) in Might 2024, requesting a probe into NCDMB’s multimillion-dollar investments, together with the Brass refinery.
The lawmakers additionally queried why no motion had reportedly been taken by related businesses almost a 12 months later.
The Home subsequently mandated the related committees to research the circumstances surrounding the $35 million funding.
