Court adjourns verdict on forfeiture of $8.44m, N7.35bn linked to Patience Jonathan’s account

By Ihesiulo Grace 16 January 2018 22 No comment

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday approached a Federal High Court in Lagos in a bid to seize funds in 15 bank accounts linked to the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

The funds, which the anti graft agency is seeking to seize, include a total of $8.44m and over N7.35bn.

The agency had appeared before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, with an ex parte application, seeking the temporary forfeiture of the funds.

But the move was interrupted by two senior lawyers: Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the ex-parte application.

The SANs told the judge that the funds, which the EFCC seeks to seize, are subject of pending litigation.

But the lawyer to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, insisted that the SANs had no right of hearing in the court, since his application was ex parte, wondering how they got wind of the move by the anti-graft agency in the first place.

He urged the judge to disregard their appearance.

The judge thereafter upheld Oyedepo’s submission while the SANs left the courtroom.

But in view of the development, the judge adjourned the case till January 23 and directed the EFCC to file an affidavit to convince her that there are no pending lawsuits relating to the funds sought to be forfeited.

In the said ex parte application, the EFCC listed Patience Jonathan and five firms and one Esther Oba as respondents to the suit.

The firms that were listed as second to sixth defendants are Globus Integrated Services Ltd., Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd., Pagmat Oil And Gas Ltd., and Magel Resort Ltd.

The ex parte application was backed by a 15-paragraph affidavit deposed to by an investigator with the EFCC, Huleji Tukura.

Tukura claimed that investigation by the anti-graft agency revealed that the funds found in the bank accounts linked to Mrs Jonathan emanated from the coffers of Bayelsa State and that the funds were moved at a time when the former First Lady served as a permanent secretary in one the ministries in Bayelsa State.

According to Tukura, Mrs Jonathan first opened an account and then “procured” the then Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, to fund the account with “proceeds of unlawful activities.”

Tukura further alleged, “That the said Dudafa Warripamo-Owei procured one Festus Isidohomen Iyoha and Arivi Eneji Peter, who were domestic staff attached to the State House, Abuja, to deposit the funds, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, in to account of the 1st respondent (Patience).

“That in depositing the funds into the account of the 1st respondent, the said domestic staff, in a bid to conceal their identity, deposited the funds, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful act, into the 1st respondent’s account, using fictitious names.

“That the total sum of $4,036,750.00 reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities, were deposited into account No. 2022648664 domiciled in a financial institution in the name of the 1strespondent.

“That on September 28, 2016, the 1strespondent, in dissipating the property sought to be forfeited, transferred $3,640,794.72 to the 1strespondent’s account No. 2031277178 domiciled in the financial institution.

“That on October 5, 2016, the 1st respondent withdrew $1,000,000.00 cash from the said account leaving the balance of the sum of $3,645,013.73 which sum we are urging this honourable court to forfeit in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

”That as at the time the various sums were deposited in into exhibit EFCC01, the 1st respondent was a serving Permanent Secretary in the employment of the Bayelsa State Government.

“That the funds sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria are not the 1st respondent’s lawful earnings but are rather reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”

The investigator further explained that the companies mentioned in the application were not into “any legitimate income-yielding business venture” but were rather incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for the purpose of warehousing proceeds of unlawful activities for the former First Lady.

He further claimed that every now and then domestic servants at the Presidential Villa were sent to deposit money into the company’s accounts for Mrs Jonathan.

“The depositors into this account are domestic staff of State House, Abuja, who were procured by the said Dudafa Waripamo-Owei to deposit the funds sought to be forfeited in a bid to conceal the true origin of the funds,” Tukura added.

Making specific reference Globus Integrated Services Ltd., Tukura said, “None of the Directors of the 3rd Respondent are signatories to the said account.

“That Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan fraudulently assumed the identity of one Esther Oba as the signatory to the said account.

“That the total sum of N1,800,494,000.00, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities are deposited into account No.4011019539 opened in the name of the 3rd respondent for the purpose of retaining proceeds of unlawful activities.

“That the signature displayed in the means of identification presented by the purported Esther Oba on passport No. A05977202 is at variance with the signature on mandate.

“That the said Esther Oba is currently at large and had refuse to honour repeated invitations extended to her.”

The EFCC is therefore urging Justice Olatoregun to order the temporary forfeiture of all the funds – $8,435,788.84 and over N7.35bn – to prevent Mrs Jonathan from dissipating them.

The commission said, “There is an urgent need for this honourable court to direct the managers of the bank accounts contained in schedule to this summons to, in the interim, forfeit the money contain therein to prevent further tampering with the accounts being sought to be attached.”

Peter Fowoyo