The Federal High court in Abuja has adjourned the ruling on a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, for allegedly embezzling 19.2 billion Naira from the State government’s coffers.

In a statement, the anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said the funds were misappropriated between 2007 and 2011.

The matter was initially adjourned to April 28 for ruling on an application filed by the third accused, Gbenga Balogun, through his counsel Israel Olorundare, requesting that the court should first determine the legal standing of the lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, to handle the matter.

Mr Balogun is also asking the court to determine his motion challenging the competence of the 42-count charge.

However, the presiding judge, Justice A. Mohammed, on Tuesday sent in words through one of his assistants that ruling was not yet ready, asking the counsel to agree on a date.

Consequently, the case was adjourned to May 14 for ruling on the third accused motion, having confirmed the date to be convenient for the court.

Sylva along with his co-accused, Francis Okokwo, Gbenga Balogun and Samuel Ogbuku were alleged to have used three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to fraudulently siphon money from the Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012, under false pretence of using the withdrawn money to augment salaries of the state government workers.