Following
the widely reported case of Patience Jonathan's possession of accounts
containing several billions of dollars, the EFCC has summoned her
security details.
Dame Patience Jonathan
Some officials of the Department of State Services, who were
attached to Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President
Goodluck Jonathan, have been summoned by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission for interrogation.
It was learnt on Friday that the invitation was part of
investigations into the $15m frozen in four company accounts, which
Patience had laid claim to.
According to The Punch. sources in the EFCC have revealed that a
letter had been written to the DSS, requesting that the officials be
allowed to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitation.
A detective also revealed that the commission had evidence that the
DSS officials had, on several occasions, deposited money into some of
the accounts in Skye Bank between 2013 and 2015.
The source said, “The $15m, which we have frozen in the four
company accounts was not paid into the accounts at once. The money was
paid into the accounts over a two-year period.
“However, we have evidence that it was DSS officials attached
to Jonathan’s wife that deposited the money. We have gathered bank
documents and we have invited them for interrogation.”
When asked why Patience had not been invited by the EFCC, even
after she had openly laid claim to the money and dared the anti-graft
agency to invite her for questioning, another source told our
correspondent that it was because the commission was trying to build a
solid case.
The source said, “We will not like to exchange words with her
on the pages of newspapers. She says the money belongs to her but she
has no evidence to show that she owns the money except the fact that she
was given platinum cards to use in withdrawing money.
“Possessing an ATM card of an account that does not bear your
name, signature or credentials does not give you the legal right over
that account. We froze the accounts as part of investigations into a
money laundering case.
“We are still investigating and we may invite her based on the
outcome of investigations. We are still trying to build a solid case.”
The Punch reports that the EFCC had stumbled on four company bank
accounts in Skye Bank while investigating a former Special Adviser to
Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.
The names of the four companies are: Pluto Property and Investment
Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Company
Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; and Globus
Integrated Service Limited. The joint balance of the accounts, as of
the time it was frozen, was said to be $15, 591,700.
The four companies standing trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos have since pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Jonathan’s wife has, however, accused the EFCC of hiring
mercenaries as directors of the company in an attempt to steal her
hard-earned money.
Patience, who has sued Skye Bank for N200m, also has another
account under the name ‘Patience Ibifaka Jonathan’ in the bank, which
had a balance of $5m. The account was, however, not frozen by the
commission.
In the suit filed by Patience, while laying claim to the $15m,
which is the subject of prosecution of Dudafa and others, one Sammie
Somiari, who deposed to an affidavit on behalf of Patience, claimed that
Dudafa helped Patience to open the bank accounts in 2010.
According to him, Dudafa had on March 22, 2010, brought two Skye Bank officials to meet Patience at home to open five accounts.
The deponent claimed that Patience was the sole signatory to the accounts.
He, however, claimed that after the five accounts were opened,
Patience later discovered that Dudafa opened only one of the accounts in
her name while the other four were opened in the names of companies
belonging to Dudafa.
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Hot GIST Channel Latest Updates - @Hot Gist
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Gospel World (which is also owned by Tony Gists) youtube Channel Latest Updates - @Gospel world
Are you on audio mack? Follow Tonygists on audio mack to listen and download to the latest Mfm sermons Latest Updates - @Tonygists
Follow Tonygists on LinkedIn to get more jobs opportunities Latest Updates - @Tonygists
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Honest Ose Channel Latest Updates - @Honest Ose
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Honest Web Solutions Channel Latest Updates - @Honest Web Solutions
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Xtremely Honest Channel Latest Updates - @Xtremely Honest
Are You On Twitter? Follow Us Now For Latest Updates - @tonygists
Are You On FACEBOOK? Like Our Page For Latest Updates - tonygists
Are You On FACEBOOK? Join Our Group For Latest Updates And Interactions - TonyGists
© 2024 Tonygists | Portions are © 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.
