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Tag: Patience Jonathan

  • Patience Jonathan loses bid to unfreeze account

    Former first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, yesterday lost the bid to get her account unfrozen by the Federal High Court, Lagos.The account has in it $15.591 million.

    Justice Mohammed Idris ordered parties to file pleading since issues have been joined as to the money’s ownership.The judge said all the defendants formulated different issues from that formulated by the plaintiff in the originating summons, which he said is unacceptable.

    His words: “The issues formulated by all the defendants are baseless. They go to no issue and will be ignored by the court.’Justice Idris said where processes are not properly prepared, any defect would render the proceeding fatal as the court cannot re-formulate the issues for determination.

    The judge further held that there is a contention as to issues and facts concerning money’s ownership.The commission had urged the court not to unfreeze the account because the money is suspected to be proceed of crime.

    EFCC, Skye Bank Plc, Jonathan’s former aide Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd and Avalon Global Property Development Ltd are the respondents.

    The companies, through their representatives, had pleaded guilty to laundering the money last September 15 when they were arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.

    They were charged along with Dudafa, Briggs and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, for laundering the money.Unlike the companies, Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the 17-count charge.

  • UPDATED: Lagos court orders interim forfeiture of Patience Jonathan’s $5.8m

    UPDATED: Lagos court orders interim forfeiture of Patience Jonathan’s $5.8m

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered a temporal forfeiture of $5.8 million belonging to a former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, to the Federal Government.

    The order followed the ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the forfeiture of the amount to government, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    Moving the ex parte application, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to grant the order as prayed.

    Justice Mojisola Olatoregun held: “order is granted as prayed.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the court order came barely 24 hours after the EFCC withdrew an application for stay of prosecution of the court’s earlier ruling, unfreezing Jonathan’s account.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Olatoregun had sometimes in November, 2016 granted a forfeiture order of the said sum following an application by the commission.

    The court, however, issued another order in March, vacating the earlier one.

    The vacation of the order followed an application by Jonathan’s counsel, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who had challenged the propriety of the EFCC’s action.

    In the new motion titled “Action in Rem,” the commission sought an order for interim forfeiture of the said $5.8 million lodged in the Skye Bank.

    The commission also sought an order directing the interim forfeiture of N2.4 billion discovered in an EcoBank account in the name of La Wari Furniture and Bath Ltd, suspected to be proceeds of crime.

    It further sought for the publication in any national newspaper, of the said order, to enable any interested party to appear and show why the interim order should not be made final.

    In an affidavit, the commission averred that it received an intelligence report that funds suspected to be proceeds of crime were warehoused in a Skye Bank account belonging to Jonathan.

    It said that the report was analysed and found worthy of investigation, adding that the ex- First Lady opened the account on February 7, 2013.

    According to the commission, several cash deposits were made by the ex- First Lady in United States Dollars, through Waripamo Dudafa, a former aide to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The commission averred that another frequent depositor of funds into the said account was one Festus Iyoha, a steward in the State House, Abuja.

    The EFCC said that between February 8, 2013 and January 30, 2015, about $6.7 million suspected to be proceeds of crime were deposited into the account.

    According to the commission, Jonathan had dissipated the funds, leaving a balance of about $5.7 million.

    The commission further averred that if the fund was not forfeited in the interim, it may be fully dissipated by Jonathan.

    It added that N2.03 billion, suspected proceeds of crime, was currently on fixed deposit in the account of La Wari Furniture, in addition to a credit balance of about N389 million.

    The commission urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

    Granting the order, Justice Olatoregun adjourned the case till May 15, to enable any interested party to appear and show cause why the interim order should not be made final.

  • $5.9M Defreeze Accounts: Patience Jonathan visits Skyebank

    $5.9M Defreeze Accounts: Patience Jonathan visits Skyebank

    Following a Federal High Court judgement ordering the unfreezing of former first lady Patience Jonathan’s account containing $5.9m, the former first Lady on Monday visited the Maitama branch of Skyebank in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com gathered that she went to the bank at 10:00 a.m. and had a closed-door meeting with an Executive Director of the bank.

    She finally left the bank at 4:05 p.m. but declined to speak to newsmen who sought to know why she was there.

    A source, however, said she had earlier visited the bank on Friday but did not disclose her mission.

    One of her aides, who declined to disclose his name, told newsmen that “everything was okay”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday vacated its order which in 2016 froze the Skye Bank account of the ex-first lady.

    The account had a balance of 5.9 million dollars at the period.

    The Judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, set aside the ‘No-Debit Order’ which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission earlier placed on the account on allegations that the money found in it was a proceed of crime.

  • Frozen $15m: Court adjoins till March 6 for hearing in Patience Jonathan’s suit

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday fixed March 6 for further hearing in a suit filed by former first lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, against the EFCC.

    Patience , in the fundamental rights enforcement suit, is seeking the order of the court to de-freeze her $15.5 million domiciled with Skye Bank.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the said amount was frozen by the bank on the directive of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The respondents are: the EFCC, Skye Bank, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Warampo-Owei Dudafa and four companies.

    The companies are: Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd., Transocean Property and Investment Company Ltd., and Globus Integrated Service Ltd.

    At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the companies, Mr Jeff Kadiri, told the court that he had just been briefed and would need time to file the necessary processes.

    In response, counsel to Patience, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), informed the court that he had served his processes on all parties in the matter and was prepared to proceed with the case.

    He was, however, not opposed to Kadiri’s request for adjournment.

    In the absence of opposition by lawyers to the other respondents, the judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, adjourned further hearing in the matter to March 6.

    The four companies which the EFCC claimed were used by Dudafa to launder the $15.5 million had pleaded guilty in a criminal case before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.

    The sum involved in the criminal case was the same money the former first lady had claimed belonged to her as the sole signatory to the accounts of the companies.

    She, however, denied ownership of the companies.

    Patience in her suit was urging the court to issue an order discharging the freezing order.

    She equally sought for an order restraining the EFCC and its agent from further placing a freezing order on the said accounts.

    In an affidavit in support deposed to by a lawyer, Sammie Somiari, it was averred that on March 22, 2010, Mrs Jonathan had opened five different accounts with the Skye Bank, with the aid of two officials of the bank, Damola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi.

    It was further averred that the account mandate forms were duly completed and signed by her.

    According to the deponent, Patience subsequently discovered that apart from one of the accounts that bore her name, the other four accounts were opened in the name of four companies belonging to Dudafa.

    He also averred that she also observed that the ATM cards of the said accounts were issued in the names of the companies, adding that she complained to Dudafa who promised to effect the necessary changes.

    He said Dipo Oshodi also promised to effect the necessary changes.

    Somiari averred further that Patience was neither a director, shareholder nor a participant in these companies but the funds in the said accounts were solely owned and operated by her.

    According to the deponent, the Skye Bank official, (Oshodi), did not carry out the instructions of the plaintiff to change the name of the said accounts to her name, despite repeated request.

    He averred that notwithstanding the refusal of the bank to effect the necessary changes, she had been using the said ATM cards without any interference.

    The deponent averred that sometimes in July 2016, Jonathan discovered that the ATM cards were not functioning, and immediately contacted the bank which informed her that a “No debit/freezing order” had been placed on the accounts.

    He averred that on further inquiry, the bank informed her that the accounts were frozen on the directives of the EFCC as a result of an ongoing investigation in relation to Dudafa.

    Patience contended that she was neither arrested nor invited by EFCC prior to the freezing order placed on the accounts and as such the action was unlawful and illegal.

    She then sought the court’s order directing the unfreezing of her accounts forthwith.

    Patience also sought an order restraining the EFCC from taking further steps in relation to the said account pending the determination of the suit.

  • $15m Alleged Scam: Patience Jonathan withdraws libel suit against SERAP

    A Lagos Federal High Court has struck out a suit former First Lady, Patience Jonathan and her group, Union of Niger Delta Youth Organisation for Equity, Justice and Good Governance brought against a civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Mrs Jonathan and her group had sued SERAP in suit number FHC/L/CS/1349/2016 dated October 6, 2016 of “using online, print and electronic media to publish alleged unfounded and malicious allegations that she stole $15m (US) and ought to be prosecuted.”

    However, TheNewsGuru.com reports that during Monday’s resumed hearing, counsel to the former First Lady informed the court that they were no longer interested in pursuing the matter, and subsequently applied to discontinue the case.

    Reacting to the submission of Mrs Jonathan’s counsel, lawyer to SERAP, Timothy Adewale said, “This case should never have been brought against SERAP in the first place. The case has been a complete waste of our time.

    “While we do not object to the request by the Plaintiffs’ lawyers for withdrawal of the case, we ask the Honourable Court for N500,000 as cost against Mrs Jonathan and her group.”

    After listening to their arguments, the presiding judge, Justice C.M.A Olatoregun subsequently struck out the case and awarded N25,000 as cost to SERAP.

     

  • Court orders freezing of Patience Jonathan’s multiple accounts

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the freezing of Ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan’s multiple accounts over suspected proceeds from crime.

    One of the account, domiciled with Skye Bank plc, has a balance of $5,316.66.

    The presiding judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, while granting the order freezing the accounts ordered the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, file an undertaking in relation to damages payable by it if it turns out that the order should not have been made.

    EFCC boss Magu and Patience Jonathan This is sequel to a further affidavit in support of Ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Mr. Abdulahi Tukur, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and filed before the court by EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo requesting the court to urgently direct the managers of the bank accounts contained in the schedule filed with the summons (FHC/L/CS/1343/16) to, in the interim, forfeit the money in the accounts, to prevent further tampering with such.

    Also affected by the order are five companies which are Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel Resort Limited, AM -PM Global Network Limited Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.

    Finchley Top Homes Limited is alleged to have fraudulently open account number 1102001996 domiciled with Ecobank Plc and has a current balance of N226,376,700.23 and a fixed deposit with a balance of N1,099,511,484.88.

    The company also fraudulently opened other accounts These are account 1771731336, domiciled with Skye Bank and with a current balance of N14,173,848.85; Fidelity Bank account 4011019539 with a current balance of N1,800,494,000; Stanbic Bank account 0016901361 with a current balance of N40,594,12.88; and Diamond Bank account 0019213687 with a current balance of N39,418,712.12.

    Aribawa Aruera Reachout Foundation opened account number 1222014221 with Ecobank and has a closing balance of N479,893,431.01, while Magel Resort Limited accounts (4011019546/5250059782) with Fidelity Bank has a subsisting balance of N1,000,494,000.

    The company also operates two other accounts (1011744356) in Zenith Bank, which has a balance of N858,923,982, and 0024351590 with Diamond Bank and has a balance of N174,166,207.00. AM-PM Global Network Limited opened account number 0026718889 at Diamond Bank and has a balance of N7,213,303.50.

    The account opened by Pansy Oil and Gas Limited at Fidelity Bank (4011019577) has a current balance of N1,809,666,494.68, while that at Diamond Bank (0026838491) has a balance of N55,930,024.50. Also affected is one Esther Oba.

    Esther Oba has a balance of $429,381.87 in her account while the companies collectively havea balances totaling N7,418,829,290.94 (seven billion four hundred and eighteen million eight hundred and twenty nine thousand two hundred and ninety naira ninety four kobo) in six commercial banks.

    Esther Oba was found to have opened account number 0019213689 with Diamond Bank and has a current balance of $429,381.87.

    The EFCC said it carried out analyses after receiving an intelligence report, which showed that the accounts ought to be investigated. As such, Mr. Tukur averred that it would serve the course of justice to grant the application for such.

  • Patience Jonathan petitions Nat’l Assembly

    Patience Jonathan petitions Nat’l Assembly

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday, received a petition from former first lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    In the petition presented to the House by Lovette Idisi, the former first lady alleged that she was being “incessantly harassed” by the anti-graft agency.

    Commenting on the petition, Idisi said that the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan was presumed to be innocent until proven guilty as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    “This petition is in line with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, where every citizen of the country is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    “Mr Speaker, the constant harassment of the former first lady is a petition emanating from her which was sent to my office.

    “With the leave of the house, I seek your permission to lay the petition before the house,” Idisi said.

    After Idisi laid the petition, the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, referred it to the Committee on Public Petitions.

    It would be recalled that Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court Lagos, on Wednesday, adjourned till Jan. 18, 2017, hearing in a suit by former first lady, Patience Jonathan, seeking enforcement of her fundamental rights.

    Jonathan had instituted the fundamental rights suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, claiming the sum of $200m as damages for inconveniences suffered.

    In her suit, she also joined Skye bank Plc, and a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Warampo Dudafa, as respondents.

    Also joined in the suit are four companies namely: Pluto Property Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Transocean company Ltd and Globus Integrated Service Ltd.