$22.3b Fraud: More Trouble For Jonathan, Wife As Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB Gets Involved

The Nation - Embattled ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan seems to have an hurdle to clear in her legal battle to reclaim the $22.3million in bank accounts linked to her.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has already placed the restriction on the accounts in Skye Bank while she battles in court to have the restriction lifted.

An application has now been filed at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to establish whether she declared the seized cash as required by law at the exit of her husband in 2015.

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Abuja-based lawyer, Barrister Osuagwu Ugochukwu who filed the application wants the bureau to come clean on whether ex-President Goodluck Jonathan declared the money to which his wife is now laying claims   in his exit form in 2015.

Ugochukwu in a September 1 letter to the Chairman of CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, said he was acting in the interest of the public and in the exercise of his rights pursuant to Sections 1 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

His words “On May 19 2015, the CCB, in an advertorial by its Acting Secretary, Kolade Omoyola, in some newspapers had reminded ‘political office holders to declare their assets on assumption and vacation of office in accordance with Paragraph II of the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.’

“The Code of Conduct Bureau has asked President Goodluck Jonathan, his Vice, and 42 Ministers in his cabinet to declare their assets.

“The bureau reportedly issued the Completed Assets Declaration Forms to all concerned, with a 30-day deadline to return the completed forms before exiting office.

“Usually every public servant declares what the spouse earns and must have acquired as property or asset in their Spouses (public servant) declaration forms.

“This brings me to whether ex-president Goodluck Jonathan declared or completed his Exit Asset Declaration forms with the CCB.

“Only recently, as reported by Vanguard newspapers, former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, wrote a letter to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) explicating that the $31.4 million connected to the financial fraud leveled against Mr. Waripamo Dudafa by EFCC was for the payment of the medical bills she incurred in London in 2013.

“Patience Jonathan claimed ownership of the $31.4 million in the affidavit before a Federal High Court in Lagos  September 2016.

“The former first lady in her letter to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co enjoined the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Skye Bank to lift the restriction placed on the accounts.

“In the letter, Patience Jonathan admitted that the she is the sole signatory to the accounts and the accounts were card-based.

“We note also that First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service. Governor Dickson had in July 2012, five months after his inauguration appointed Patience Jonathan, as one of the 17 new permanent secretaries in the state civil service.

“The question that agitates me are: Whether this $31.5 million or $20 Million as being claimed by ex-President Jonathan’s wife was declared in May 2015 in President Jonathan Exit forms with the CCB?

“Kindly avail me whether ex-President Jonathan did file his Asset Declaration Form with the Bureau upon exit from office in May 2015?

“Did Dame Patience Jonathan declare her assets upon exit upon appointment as permanent secretary in Bayelsa State and upon her exit from same position?”

A special investigation team to Port Harcourt (Rivers State) and Yenagoa (Bayelsa State), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had linked nine choice properties, two hotels and a plot of land under construction to the ex-First Lady.

A report of the EFCC investigative team had implicated the former First Lady.

The report of the investigative team said in part: “Based on the investigation so far carried out, it has revealed that the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan  has a cumulative balance of $14,029.881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.

“Again, her personal account, different from the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.

I Was Handed $4m Cash In Aso Rock - Witness Reveals How He Got N1.6 Billion From Jonathan's Aide, Dudafa

A witness in the ongoing trial of the personal assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on domestic matters, Waripamowei Emmanuel Dudafa, on Monday told the Lagos Federal High Court presided by Justice M.B. Idris how he received a total sum of N1,667,162,800 from the former presidential aide through five different companies between 2013 and 2015. 

The companies are Pluto Properties and Investment Limited, Avalon Global Property, Rotato Interlink Services, Seagate Property, and Ebiwise Services Limited.

The witness, Murtala Bashir Abubakar, made the disclosure when he was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, and was asked to explain to the court his relationship with Mr. Dudafa.

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Mr. Abubakar, a Bureau de Change operator who plies his trade in three different companies - Na Mu Duka Ventures, Yamusa Oil Services Limited, and 313 Ventures - informed the court that he knew Mr. Dudafa since the accused was a Commissioner for Local Government in Bayelsa State under the administration of Governor Timipre Sylva.

He further told the court that the only relationship between the two of them was that of Forex, a relationship that continued up to the time Mr. Dudafa became a personal assistant to Mr. Jonathan.

In explaining the nature of their transactions, the witness informed the court that Mr. Dudafa usually sent two of his staff, Festus and German, with U.S. dollars in order to deposit the Naira equivalent into specific accounts provided by Mr. Dudafa via text messages. The witness disclosed to the court the text messages he received from Mr. Dudafa on his Samsung mobile phone.

Mr. Abubakar confirmed to the court that all instructions on how to disburse the money were sent via text messages, with the exception of one transaction in which Mr. Dudafa invited the witness to the Presidential Villa and handed him $4 million in cash.

The mobile phone as well as the Ownership Attestation Form were admitted and marked as Exhibits E and E1, respectively.

The witness was confronted with exhibits A-B3 in which he identified all the transactions, both from his companies’ accounts and his personal account, that transpired between himself and Mr. Dudafa from 2013 to 2015.

At the end of the examination, the witness confirmed that all money he received during the transactions in question came from Mr. Dudafa.

When it was time for the defense to proceed with cross-examination of the witness, the counsel representing Mr. Dudafa, Gboyega Oyewale, requested the court for an adjournment. Sunday Abumeri, counsel to the second defendant, also aligned with the position of Mr. Oyewale in seeking an adjournment.

Rotimi Oyedepo objected the pleads of the two counsels, but Justice Idris eventually granted the defense counsels' application and adjourned the matter to Tuesday, 27 September 2016.

Sahara Reporters

$20m Fraud: EFCC Sets To Arrest Patience As 9 Assorted Properties Link To Her Discovered ... Writes Bayelsa Govt.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to invite Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, following the freezing  her personal account with a balance of $5m as well as four other accounts linked to her with a balance of $15.6m, Punch Newspaper's report suggests.

The detectives of the EFCC had been able to establish a prima facie case of money laundering and forgery against Patience, having visited the Skye Bank branch on Adeola Hopewell, Victoria Island, where the accounts were opened and had obtained the files containing Patience’s information, News Punch understands according to the report

Meanwhile, the EFCC investigators probing ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan’s link with five choice buildings, including a N5billion hotel in Abuja, have unearthed seven additional properties believed to be owned by her, The Nation Newspaper reports on Sunday.

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The Nation reported that the detectives were in Port Harcourt (Rivers State) and Yenagoa (Bayelsa State) all week trying to establish whether four properties in the two cities truly belong to Mrs. Jonathan.

The Nation can now confirm that the assignment led the investigators to suspect that seven more properties including the former Customs Service officers mess in Port Harcourt and a plot of land under construction were acquired by her.

Others in the Rivers State capital are: two duplexes at 2/3 Bauchi Street; landed property with blocks at Ambowei Street; three Luxury apartments of 4-bedroom each at Ambowei Street; and Grand View Hotel on Airport road.

Those in Yenagoa are: two marble duplexes at Otioko GRA by Isaac Boro Expressway; Glass House on Sani Abacha Expressway which serves as office of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board; Akemfa Etie Plaza by AP filling Station, Melford Okilo Road; and Aridolf Resort, Wellness and Spa along Sani Abacha Expressway.

The anti-graft agency, which says it has so far recovered N1b and  secured 24 convictions in the South South, may invoke  Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 on the affected properties after due verification, sources said yesterday.

Already, the EFCC has written to the Head of the Civil Service in Bayelsa State demanding the pay status and allowances of Mrs. Jonathan during her tenure as a Permanent Secretary.

It also sought explanation on whether or not she was paid in dollars, besides travelling estacodes, while in office.

The investigators are already back in Abuja to continue their assignment.

A highly placed source said: “The ex-First Lady is allegedly linked with the acquisition of the former Customs Service Officers mess in Port-Harcourt.

“We also identified three luxury apartments of four-bedroom each believed to be owned by Mrs. Jonathan. The apartments are tastefully furnished with the state of the art accessories.

“After verification of these assets and completion of our investigation, we may seek the order of the court to place the affected assets under Interim Forfeiture.

“Permission will be sought to ask the ex-First Lady to explain some of the sources of her wealth in line with Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act.

“As a First Lady, there was no appropriation for her office and she was not on salary.”

The Nation also gathered that the EFCC last Friday submitted a letter to the   Head of the Bayelsa State Civil Service demanding the pay status and allowances of Mrs. Jonathan as a Permanent Secretary.

A top source said: “The letter was submitted and duly acknowledged. We already have the acknowledgement copy with us for record purpose.

“We asked for Mrs. Jonathan’s salary and remuneration status as a Permanent Secretary while in office. We demanded to know if she was paid in dollars or in any other currency.

“We wrote the letter in line with Section 7 of the EFCC Act because we suspected that she has been living above her means.”

Section 7 of the EFCC Act says: “The commission has power to (a) cause any investigations to be conducted as to whether any person, corporate body or organization has committed any offence under this Act or other law relating to economic and financial crimes.

“(b) Cause investigations to be conducted into the properties of any person if it appears to the commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of income.”

This is the second leg of the ongoing probe of Mrs. Jonathan after about $19.8million had been frozen in five accounts allegedly traced to her.

Although she initially confirmed the ownership of the accounts, there was a twist on Friday when her counsel, Mr. Charles Ogboli, said she knew about three accounts including one belonging to Mrs. Jonathan and two others owned by her late mum, Madam Charity Fyneface Oba.

A report of the EFCC investigative team had implicated the former First Lady.

The report of the investigative team said in part: “Based on the investigation so far carried out, it has revealed that the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan  has a cumulative balance of $14,029.881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.

“Again, her personal account, different from the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.

“Considering the above stated findings, we can safely conclude that a prima facie case of conspiracy to retain proceeds of unlawful activities, retention of the proceeds of unlawful activities, money laundering contrary to Section 15(3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and forgery contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004 have been established against the aforementioned suspects.”

The EFCC claimed that all the funds traced to Patience Jonathan’s accounts were proceeds of gratification.

The report said: “The intelligence revealed that Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel fraudulently received various sums of money, being proceeds of gratification and retained same on behalf of the then first Family and for himself.”

$19.8 Fraud: Accounts Belong To My Dead Relation - Patience Jonathan Invents More Lies, You'll Be Shocked

A twist has occurred in the alleged slush accounts traced to the former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, with claims by her counsel that two of the accounts belonged to her late mother, Madam Charity Fyneface Oba.

The counsel, Mr. Charles Ogboli,  also admitted that only three of the five accounts in dispute could be traced to the ex-First Lady and her mum.

But there were indications yesterday that some senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a meeting on Thursday, where they vowed to back the former First Lady in her suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of about $19.8 million in her accounts.

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At press time, it was gathered that Mrs. Jonathan was in Abuja where she was strategising on how to win her case.

The ex-First Lady’s counsel spoke on the Channels Television discussion programme, Sunrise.

The defence of the First Lady has also gone viral on YouTube to underscore her readiness for a fight to the finish with EFCC.

Ogboli is however the third lawyer in three weeks to speak on behalf of Mrs. Jonathan.

Ogboli said:  “That is not true. The First Lady did not hold five accounts. They are three accounts. The First Lady was  the signatory of one account and the mother was a signatory to the other two accounts.

“These accounts were not on a company’s name; it is on a personal data name of the First Lady. If you check, the BVN showed clearly on a personal name.

“And if you go through the BVN, it shows that it is her personal account; it is not connected with the companies facing trial.

“The First Lady was never privy to the companies standing trial. The money that is in the account ($5 million) should be left to the First Lady.”

Responding to a question, Ogboli added: “I am explaining on behalf of the First Lady that this is what transpired.”

He maintained that the former  First Lady had protested between 2013 and 2014 against the  use of unknown companies to open accounts for her by the former Senior Special Assistant (Domestic / Household and Social Events to the former President), Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel.

He said: “What I am trying to say is that the domestic servant, Dudafa, who was asked to open accounts, went ahead to use a company’s  account which the First Lady discovered and said I am not part of this.

“She said ‘I am not a director of this company, neither am I a shareholder. I did not present any certificate of incorporation, I didn’t ask them to open any  account using a company or companies’. The discovery was made between 2013 and 2014 and immediately she kicked against it.

“ So, you don’t link her with the company that she does not know anything about.”

As at press time, some PDP Senators had resolved to rally round Mrs. Jonathan in her battle with the EFCC.

A source said: “Some PDP Senators have been meeting on a daily basis on how to give support to Mrs. Jonathan. They even met on Thursday and the battle will involve a bit of propaganda too.

“At the appropriate time, we will reveal the identities of the affected  senators based on intelligence report. The corrupt will always protect their own.

“Some of these senators  are even the ones bankrolling a part of this  battle between the former First Lady and the EFCC.”

A report of the EFCC investigative team had implicated the former First Lady.

The report of the investigative team said in part: “Based on the investigation so far carried out, it has revealed that the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan  has a cumulative balance of $14,029.881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.

“Again, her personal account, different from the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.

“Considering the above stated findings, we can safely conclude that a prima facie case of conspiracy to retain proceeds of unlawful activities, retention of the proceeds of unlawful activities, money laundering contrary to Section 15(3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and forgery contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act,  Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004 have been established against the aforementioned suspects.”

The EFCC claimed that all the funds traced to Patience Jonathan’s accounts were proceeds of gratification.

The report said: “The intelligence revealed that Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel fraudulently received various sums of money, being proceeds of gratification and retained same on behalf of the then First Family and for himself .”

The Nation

$19.8m Scam: More Facts Spring As EFCC Unleashes 13 Prime Witnesses On Patience Jonathan

A Banker, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and 11 others are to testify on how four slush accounts were opened for former First Lady Patience Jonathan, The Nation learnt yesterday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has tightened security around the 13 witnesses ahead of the trial’s resumption on September 27.

The accounts were opened by  the ex-First Lady’s  former Senior Special Assistant (Domestic / Household and Social Events to the former President), Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel.

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Dudafa and six others were last Thursday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Others are a lawyer Amajuoyi Briggs, a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku;  Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited;  Trans Ocean  Property and Investment Company Limited;  Globus Integrated Service Limited; and Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited.

A document attached to the charge sheet  indicates that 12 witnesses, including an account officer, will tell the court how the current and VISA Platinum Credit Card ( USD) accounts  were opened.

The document lists the accounts in Skye Bank Plc as follows: 1771420773 and 2110002238 ( Pluto Property and Investment and Company Limited); 1771420797 and 2110002245(Trans Ocean Property and Investment and Company Limited); 1771421299 0and 2110002269 (Globus Integrated Services Limited) and 1771420780and 2110002207 (Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited).

The identities of the13 witnesses are being shielded for security reasons.

It was learnt that some of them have been under pressure, especially the key Account Officer,  in the past few days.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are set for the trial on how the slush accounts were opened for the former First Lady. We have filed a list of  13 witnesses along with  our Proof of Evidence to show that we conducted due diligence.

“The Account Officer, who managed the slush funds, will tell the court the remittances into the accounts and how the ex-First Lady operated them.  I think Nigerians have not heard the last on these slush accounts. This is not a case of witchhunt.

“We have also taken adequate measures to protect all the witnesses in order to enable them to testify against encumbrances. We know some of the witnesses have been under pressure but we will ensure their safety.

“It is imperative to protect these witnesses because we have availed the defence their names in line with  the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. This may expose the witnesses to some risks which are being taking care of.”

The former First Lady is said to have sued the EFCC, demanding that her accounts be defrozen.

But the EFCC said:  “We are still investigating her and she cannot operate all these accounts until she is able to give the details of the sources of funds remitted into the accounts,” the source said, adding:

“Our findings showed that the remittances were products of gratification. It is left for her to prove otherwise.

“Already, the team which investigated the case has declared that she has a case to answer. But we need to dig more before determining her fate.”

The report of the investigative team said in part: “Investigation so far carried out has revealed that the four VISA Platinum USD Card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Jonathan  has a cumulative balance of $14,029.881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.

“Again, her personal account, different from the four VISA Platinum USD card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.

“Considering the above stated findings, we can safely conclude that a prima facie case of conspiracy to retain proceeds of unlawful activities, retention of the proceeds of unlawful activities, money laundering, contrary to Section 15(3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and forgery contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act,  Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004 have been established against the aforementioned suspects.”

The EFCC claimed that all the funds traced to Mrs. Jonathan’s accounts were proceeds of gratification.

The report said: “The intelligence revealed that Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel fraudulently received various sums of money, being proceeds of gratification, and retained same on behalf of the then First Family and for himself"

The Nation .

$15m probe: We’ll BOMB NNPC Headquarters If EFCC Arrests Dame Jonathan – Militant Threatens

The Niger Delta Peoples Professional Volunteer Force on Wednesday vowed to bomb the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrests former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.‎

The group accused the EFCC of witch-hunting Dame Jonathan, asking it to lift the No Debit Order imposed on her Skye Bank accounts.

The group in a statement by its spokesman, Parkinson George-Amabo, told the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, that investigating Jonathan could result into “bad blood, embarrassment and possible unrest in the Niger Delta”.

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“As a matter of fact, the EFCC has launched a criminal investigation of Mrs. Jonathan and in the process, frozen her bank accounts domiciled with a Nigerian commercial bank without affording her opportunity to state her own side of the matter,” the statement read.

It went further: “Nobody is above the law. The NDPPVF does not support or condone corruption. If Mrs. Jonathan was found to be corrupt, we shall not hesitate to call for her prosecution.

“We, however, have a grouse with the modus operandi of Mrs. Jonathan’s investigation, given her status as the wife of a former deputy governor, former governor, former vice-president, former acting president and finally, former president. She is perhaps, the only Nigerian woman – dead or alive – with such an impressive and fortuitous pedigree; which accounts for why the EFCC needs to thread with caution.

“Recently, there have been calls on the attorney-general of the federation as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute the former First Lady for alleged money laundering.

“We shall simultaneously bomb the 4 wings of the NNPC Towers the day it is announced that MRS. PATIENCE GOODLUCK JONATHAN has been arrested by the EFCC.”

TheEagleOnline

EFCC Dares Patience Jonathan, Freezes Her Personal $5m Account

Despite the threat and the fourteen-day ultimatum handed it by the former President's wife, Patience Jonathan, the antigraft agency, the Economic and Financial Crime commission has frozen the personal account of the First Lady, which is containing the sum of $5 million.

The frozen Patience personal account titled ‘Patience Ibifaka Jonathan’, is domiciled in Skye Bank Plc.

The former Ex-President had given the EFCC to de-freeze some accounts it had frozen, which she claimed were her's but opened in some names different from her's

The move to freeze the account become necessary due to the prima facie case established against the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, impeccable sources say, according to Punch Newspaper

As part of investigations into alleged diversion against a former Special Adviser to ex-President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, the anti-graft agency had frozen four companies’ accounts in Skye Bank with a balance of $15,591,700.

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However, before the EFCC could arraign the four companies in court, Jonathan’s wife deposed to an affidavit, claiming that the money belonged to her.

Despite Patience’s claims, however, the EFCC arraigned the four companies –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 companies pleaded guilty and the EFCC had already begun moves to ensure that the money is forfeited permanently to the Federal Government.

A detective at the EFCC told The PUNCH, “Recall that we had frozen the four companies’ accounts, which Patience Jonathan later laid claim to. We have been able to establish that the money was part of proceeds of crime.

“She had no evidence that the money in the four accounts belonged to her. All she had were platinum debit cards, which she was using to withdraw money and the cards are not evidence of ownership.

“Initially, we had traced $5m to her personal account, which we did not touch but I can confirm to you now that the $5m account, bearing Patience Jonathan’s name, has also been seized since she claimed that the monies in the company accounts and the one in her personal name all emanated from the same source.

“We are tracing other accounts belonging to Patience. It will interest you to know that despite all the letters she has written, she has never stated where she got the money from. She claimed to be a housewife and yet she has $20m.”

Patience had recently written a letter to the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, where she claimed that she needed the money for her medical treatment abroad.

She had also sued Skye Bank for N200m, accusing the bank of freezing her accounts unjustly.

In a letter written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, Patience said, “It is noteworthy to emphasise that the said accounts, which were in US dollar denomination, were card-based accounts and our client is the sole signatory of these accounts.

“The said bank officials also assured our client that they will change the account names accordingly and issue to our client new credit cards for the said accounts which was not done despite repeated demands.

“However, our client has been operating the said accounts using the cards for her medical bill payments and purchases for her private purposes without any let or hindrance.

“Our client was therefore surprised when the said cards stopped functioning on July 7, 2016 or thereabout. Our client immediately thereupon contacted Skye Bank Plc through our solicitors. It was only then that the bank officials informed our client that the said accounts were placed on a ‘No Debit Order’ following investigations and instructions from your commission and this is without notice to our client by either the bank or the commission.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that we urge you to use your good offices to vacate the ‘No Debit/Freezing Order’ placed on the said accounts.”

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Frozen Accounts: Patience Talks Tough, THREATENS EFCC, Demands Fresh N5b Damages

Former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Ibifaka Jonathan, has threatened to drag the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the African  Commission on Human and Peoples Rights in The Gambia if her bank accounts are not de-freezed and a public apology tendered to boot.

She will also demand N5 billion as “damages.”

In a September 18 letter from her lawyers, First Law Solicitors and addressed to the EFCC. Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Mangu, Mrs. Patience Jonathan insisted the anti-graft agency must publicly apologise to her and lift any restrictions on her dollar accounts at Skye Bank Plc.

The letter from First Law Solicitors was signed by Senior Partner, Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, on behalf of the company.

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“Consequently, we urge the EFCC to de-freeze our client’s accounts within 14 days from September 18, 2016 and tender a public apology to her. If the EFCC fails, refuses and/or neglects to comply accordingly, we shall file an action at the African  Commission on Human and Peoples Rights at The Gambia demanding N5 billion in exemplary and punitive damages.

In the 26-paragraph letter, the firm said Mrs. Jonathan’s rights were breached in what it described as “the commission’s illegal and unlawful investigation of our client for alleged money laundering. These investigations have reportedly led to the freezing of our client’s accounts and led to untold consequences to our client’s health and wellbeing…”

The law firm insisted that since the former First Lady was not charged with any economic or financial crimes, and since she had not been invited to make any statement on the seized funds, the commission had no right to freeze her accounts.

“It is our client’s brief that there was no formal criminal complaint of economic and financial crime as defined by the EFCC Act 2004 written by any person or institution against her which warranted the EFCC to freeze her accounts.

“It is also our client’s brief that the EFCC failed to obtain a court order as required by Section 34 of the EFCC Act before her accounts were frozen. It is our client’s further brief that, up until the writing of this open letter, she has not received any formal invitation to appear before the commission for questioning; whereas her accounts domiciled with Skye Bank have since been frozen by the commission without recourse to her.

“The argument put forward by the commission in the public domain that, “investigations are ongoing. Mrs. Jonathan shall be invited in due course,” are not only vexatious and provocative. They constitute an outright violation and rape of the fundamental right to fair hearing and ownership of property as guaranteed to our client by the 1999 Constitution (As amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, 2004.

“Indeed, Section 36(6)(a) & (b) of the 1999 Constitution (As amended), contains or laid down a sequence or pattern of commencement of investigation which must be followed strictly, to wit: (a) Persons charged with a criminal offence must be informed in the language they understand and in detail of the nature of the offence; (b) Such persons must be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defence; etc

“Instead of strict compliance with the above pattern, as laid down by Section 36(6)(a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution (As amended), the EFCC went after our client’s money by ordering a freeze of her accounts. With all due respect, the EFCC is a big thief!

“We hereby categorically and emphatically state Patience Jonathan should be left alone!

“Furthermore, there is no established legal or political precedent for what the EFCC is currently doing to our client.

“How many former first ladies in Nigeria have received the Patience Goodluck Jonathan Treatment (PGJT) to have warranted the EFCC to engage in the effrontery to freeze our client’s accounts and subject her to public opprobrium, ridicule and disgrace?”

Mrs. Jonathan has been the subject of an EFCC investigation with regards to the source of $15 million found in four accounts with Skye Bank.

The former First Lady had maintained the money belongs to her and that she has drawn from the accounts until July this year when the accounts were frozen by the EFCC.

As she maintained funds in the accounts were legal,  four individuals representing the four companies linked with the accounts pleaded guilty to money laundering when they were arraigned last week.

The companies – Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. Limited; Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Development Company Limited – pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder $15 million.

Directors of the companies are domestic workers of Waripamowei Dudafa, Jonathan’s special adviser on Domestic Affairs.

The former First Lady who was also a defendant in the case had previously clarified that the $15million was for her foreign medical bills and other private expenses.

When contacted, a senior EFCC official, who declined to be named, said, “what do you want us to say again? The case is already in court. So, we won’t comment.”

Daily Sun