THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following the discovery of a total of $31.4 million in five Skye Bank Plc accounts linked to the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has uncovered more luxury properties belonging to her.
The EFCC investigators who were initially probing the connection between the ex-first lady and five choice buildings, including a N5 billion hotel in Abuja, have discovered seven additional properties.
According to sources within the EFCC, investigators were in Port Harcourt, Rivers state and in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State through the week investigating the link between the ex-first lady and the four properties believed to be owned by her in the two cities.
The investigation however took a new turn when EFCC operatives stumbled upon additional seven luxury properties including the former Customs Service officers mess in Port Harcourt and a plot of land under construction.
Other properties uncovered in Port Harcourt 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.
Asides the Port Harcourt assets, the EFCC operatives further uncovered two marble duplexes at Otioko GRA by Isaac Boro Expressway; Glass House on Sani Abacha Expressway; Akemfa Etie Plaza by AP filling Station, Melford Okilo Road; and Aridolf Resort, Wellness and Spa along Sani Abacha Expressway, all in Yenagoa.
Sources within the EFCC disclosed that its investigation has so far led to the recovery of N1 billion and a total of 24 convictions which might prompt the EFCC to invoke the Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 if the properties were found to her hers.
A source within the EFCC 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.”
EFCC To Invite Patience Jonathan
Having frozen her personal account with a balance of $5m as well as four other accounts linked to her with a balance of $15.6m, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to invite Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sunday Punch quoting a source from the anti-graft commission said the detectives had visited the Skye Bank branch on Adeola Hopewell, Victoria Island, where the accounts were opened and had obtained the files containing Patience’s information.
The source told the Newspaper that the detectives had been able to establish a prima facie case of money laundering and forgery against Patience.
It will be recalled that as part of investigations into a former Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, the EFCC traced four company accounts to him all domiciled at Skye Bank.
The bank accounts of 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 — were said to have been opened with stolen identities.
Some of the directors of the company were also said to be domestic servants of Dudafa who did not know that any account had been opened on their behalf.
Shortly before the EFCC could arraign the suspects, Mrs. Jonathan deposed to an affidavit insisting that the monies belonged to her, a move which prompted the commission to beam its searchlight on Patience.
A detective at the EFCC said, “After three months of investigation, I can confirm to you that we are set to invite Patience Jonathan. We obtained the files from the bank and we realised that those accounts with the $15m were opened with fake identity cards, including driving licences.
“We took the cards and went to the Federal Road Safety Corps to verify if the cards were authentic. We found out that the cards were fake. So, this is not just money laundering but a clear case of fraud.
“If they had nothing to hide, why did they go to this length?”
While the companies have pleaded guilty, Patience insists that the money belongs to her but claims she does not know the companies.
In an affidavit, one Sammie Somiari deposed to on behalf of Patience, Mrs. Jonathan claimed that Dudafa helped Patience to open the bank accounts in 2010.
However, EFCC investigations revealed that the accounts were opened between 2013 and 2014.
According to Somiari, Dudafa had on March 22, 2010 brought two Skye Bank officers to meet Patience at home to open five accounts.
The deponent claimed that Patience was the sole signatory to the accounts.
He, however, claimed that after the five accounts were opened, Patience later discovered that Dudafa opened only one of the accounts in her name while the other four were opened in the names of companies belonging to Dudafa.
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