ECONOMIC and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials have initiated a discreet probe of the former first lady Dame Patience Jonathan's assets in a bid to assemble evidence against her as she sues the agency over the freezing of her Skye Bank account.
Earlier this month, the EFCC froze several Skye Bank accounts belonging to Dame Jonathan amid allegations that they were used for money laundering. In response, Dame Jonathan took the EFCC to court claiming the money in the accounts were gifts and this week, the case appeared before Justice Babs Kuewumi.
A total of $20m is said to be in the five accounts the EFCC froze and stepping up the case against Dame Jonathan, the commission has assembled a team of detectives saddled with the responsibility of identifying all houses and property belonging to the former first lady. They have been instructed to mark her houses and property as part of the preparation for a possible prosecution.
Dame Jonathan has dragged the EFCC court demanding the unfreezing of her accounts and $200m in compensation from the commission for alleged violation of her rights. In response EFCC operatives are focusing attention on her property in Abuja, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt and other cities across the country.
One EFCC source said: “It would not be correct to conclude that the commission has halted the investigation into the activities of the former first lady. Investigations are progressing and is being handled by the office of the chairman of the commission.
“A team of operatives has been assembled to identify all her properties in the country with a focus on Abuja, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa. The responsibility of the team is to mark all such properties in preparation for a possible court action.”
EFCC operatives had traced $5m to the personal account of the former first lady and frozen the account domiciled in Skye Bank last month. It then froze the accounts of four companies traced to the special adviser to ex-president Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa.
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