BEVERLY HILLS, SEPTEMBER 14, (THEWILL) – Dame Patience Jonathan (Mama Peace), former first lady and wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has explained that the over $14m, which was frozen in four companies’ accounts were being used to settle her medical bills.
Patience made this known in a letter, with reference number GA/Abibo/00226/2016, written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, which was addressed to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, urging the commission and Skye Bank to lift the restriction on the accounts.
“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 to these accounts,” the letter read.
“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 stop 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 instruction 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.
“Our client, who is a law-abiding citizen, has watched with surprise how efforts are being made surreptitiously to indirectly harass or harangue her and short-change her of her personal funds in breach of her fundamental human rights.
“We urge you sir, to kindly intervene to stop the untoward and wrongful actions of your officials to embarrass, inconvenience and short-change our client.”
Curiously, the four accounts were opened in the name of 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 while her domestic worker, her driver and other domestic workers of a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa, and others were named as Directors.
Patience claimed the money lodged in the accounts were hers and she was given a platinum card and exclusive access to the accounts and is the sole signatory to the accounts, meanwhile, the accounts were not linked to her Bank Verification Number (BVN) as she has a separate account in Skye Bank in her name which has a balance of over $5m.
Meanwhile, the EFCC is set to begin a case of money laundering against the ex-First Lady and 10 others based on the $22.3 million lodged into the accounts (with a balance of over $14m).
The 10 suspects indicted in the investigation are Dudafa, the four companies in whose names the accounts were opened, Damola Bolodeoku, Dipo Oshodi, Theodora Varinik, Skye Bank Plc, and Sompre Omiebi – said to be on the run.
Investigations, so far carried out, by the EFCC revealed that the four Platinum USD card accounts used by Patience has a cumulative balance of $14,029,881.79 while her personal account bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.
The EFCC claimed that all the funds were proceeds of gratification alleging that Dudafa fraudulently received various sums of money, being proceeds of gratification and retained same on behalf of the then First Family and for himself.
It added that Taiwo Ebenezer, Chima John, Friday Davis, Olalekan Bello, Asuquo Charles, Kola Frederick, Rasak Gbodiyam, Ebi Attah, Agbo Baro and Olugbenga Isaiah, also named as the purported Directors of the companies, have denied knowledge of the registration and any interest in the companies as their names were used fraudulently.
It revealed that the sum of $5,114,609.00 was lodged into the account of Globus Integrated Services Limited out of which the sum of $753,206.76 has been spent leaving a balance of $4,361,393.24.
The sum of $3,737,500.00 was also lodged into the account of Trans Ocean Property ABC Investment Company Limited out of which the sum of $405,856.88 has been spent leaving a balance of $3,331,643.12.
The sum of $3,644,200.00 was lodged into the account of Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited out of which the sum of $242,665.29 has been spent leaving a balance of $3,401,534.71.
The sum of $3,095,400 was lodged into the account of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited out of which the sum of $160, 089.28 has been spent leaving a balance of $2,935,310.72.
Also, the sum of $6, 761,367.71 was lodged into Patience’s account out of which the sum of $919,941.54 has been spent leaving a balance of $5,841,426.17.
Story by David Oputah
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