Save me from EFCC, Patience Jonathan cries out

Court grants her leave on frozen accounts

From Kemi Yesufu, Ndubuisi Orji Abuja and Lukman Olabiyi

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday petitioned the House of Representatives seeking protection from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mrs. Jonathan, in a petition submitted to the House by a lawmaker, Lovette Idisi, said she had been “incessantly harassed” by the anti-graft agency.

She also raised the alarm that her life was being threatened by the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as persons suspected to be agents of both agencies twice  “broke” into her Abuja home in her absence without prior notice.

Mrs. Jonathan also alleged that her children’s accounts and those of close relations were frozen by the EFCC even as the reputation of her husband had been negatively affected by media reports orchestrated by the agency.

Recall that as part of investigations into alleged diversion against a former Special Adviser to former President Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, the anti-graft agency had frozen four companies’ accounts with a balance of $15,591,700.This is an account with $5 million belonging to Mrs. Jonathan.

She publicly claimed four corporate accounts with about $20 million in them frozen by the anti-graft agency and had through her lawyers, issued the EFCC, 14 days ultimatum with effect from September 18 to de-freeze her accounts as well as tender a public apology. She later dragged the agency to a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Also recently, the EFCC froze an account with a balance of N500 million owned by a wealthy businesswoman, Hajiya Bola Sagaya, due to banking transactions between companies she and the former First Lady owned.

Back at plenary, Idisi while condemning the manner in which the EFCC was treating the former First Lady, cited Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, saying individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“This petition is in line with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution which dictates that every citizen is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The constant harassment of the former First Lady is contained in a petition which emanated from her, that was sent to my office. With the leave of the House, I seek your permission to lay the petition before the House”, he said.

After the petition was laid by Idisi before the house, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who chaired yesterday’s plenary, referred it to the Committee on Public Petitions.

Meanwhile, Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos yesterday granted leave to Mrs. Jonathan to amend her civil suit against the EFCC and Skye Bank Plc.

The ex-First Lady, through her lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), filed a motion to regularise the processes before the court.

Justice Idris also granted the EFCC time to amend its counter-affidavit. Mrs. Jonathan, in the suit, is claiming that EFCC froze four of her accounts with Skye Bank in the name of four companies.

The companies are: Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd  and Avalon Global PropertyDevelopment Ltd.

She said the companies’ accounts  have a balance of $15,591,700 (about N5 billion) belonging to her.

But, the companies on September 15, pleaded guilty to laundering the money when they were arraigned in a criminal charge before Justice Babs Kuewumi.

The judge, however, refused to order forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government until the trial of the others named in the charge was concluded.

The four companies were represented by Friday Davis. Agbor Baro, Dioghowori Frederick and Taiwo Ebenezer respectively.

EFCC arraigned them with Dudafa, a lawyer, AmajuoyiBriggs and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku.

Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the17-count charge.

Mrs. Jonathan, in a separate suit against EFCC and SkyeBank, before Justice Idris, is seeking an order to de-freeze the accounts and release her money. Yesterday, her lawyer Adedipe told Justice Idris that his client amended her claim. He said he also filed a motion to regularise his processes,which the court granted.

EFCC’s lawyer, Oyedepo Rotimi, said he would also amend his response to the suit. Justice Idris said: “Leave will be granted to the respondent (EFCC) to file any amended process.”Rotimi accused the applicant of changing the address of the companies through which the suit was purportedly served on them. Mrs Jonathan had joined the companies in her suit.