The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen Dame Patience Jonathan’s personal account. The frozen Skye Bank account has the title ‘Patience Ibifaka Jonathan’.
Impeccable sources within the agency told the Punch on Wednesday that the move became necessary due to the prima facie case established against the former first lady.
Recall that on alleged diversion against a former Special Adviser to ex-President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, the EFCC had frozen four companies’ accounts in Skye Bank with a balance of $15,591,700. But before their arraignment, Mrs Jonathan deposed to an affidavit, saying the money belonged to her.
Her trouble started when on arraignment, 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 – despite her claim, pleaded guilty. Noteworthy is that Mrs Jonathan alleged that EFCC used mercenaries to extract the plea of guilty.
Thereafter the EFCC, it is gathered, began moves to ensure that the money is forfeited permanently to the Federal Government.
A detective at the commission 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.”
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