Patience Jonathan
As part of its investigations into the $15 million frozen in four
company accounts, which Mrs Jonathan laid claim to, the EFCC has invited some
officers of the DSS attached to the former first lady.
According to The Punch, a letter had been written to the DSS, requesting
that the officials be allowed to honour the EFCC’s invitation for
interrogation. The report quoted a source as saying the EFCC had evidence that
the DSS officials had, on several occasions, deposited money into some of the
accounts owned by Mrs Jonathan.
“The $15m, which we have frozen in the four company accounts was not
paid into the accounts at once. The money was paid into the accounts over a
two-year period. “However, we have evidence that it was DSS officials attached
to Jonathan’s wife that deposited the money. We have gathered bank documents
and we have invited them for interrogation,” the source said.
Another source quoted said Mrs Jonathan has not been invited by the
EFCC, even after she openly laid claim to the money and dared the anti-graft
agency to invite her for questioning, because the anti-graft agency was trying
to build a solid case against her. “We will not like to exchange words with her
on the pages of newspapers. She says the money belongs to her but she has no
evidence to show that she owns the money except the fact that she was given
platinum cards to use in withdrawing money. “Possessing an ATM card of an
account that does not bear your name, signature or credentials does not give
you the legal right over that account. We froze the accounts as part of
investigations into a money laundering case. “We are still investigating and we
may invite her based on the outcome of investigations. We are still trying to
build a solid case,” the source said. The EFCC had stumbled on four company
bank accounts in Skye Bank while investigating a former special adviser to
former president Goodluck Jonathan on domestic affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.
The joint balance of the accounts, as of the time it was frozen, was
said to be $15, 591,700. The companies have since pleaded guilty to money
laundering before a Federal High Court in Lagos. In a swift reaction, Mrs
Jonathan accused the EFCC of hiring mercenaries as directors of the company in
an attempt to steal her hard-earned money. She has since filed a suit against
the EFCC and Skye Bank, laying claims to the money.
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