The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it is heading to court
to file an application seeking the total forfeiture of $15,591,700,
belonging to former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
The money is
currently lodged in the Skye Bank account of four companies: Pluto
Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development
& Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment
Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.
The
EFCC had frozen the four accounts, which were linked to a former
Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei
Dudafa.
However, Jonathan’s wife had claimed in a sworn affidavit
that the money in the four accounts belonged to her even though there
is no paper evidence to establish a link between her and the companies.
She also urged the court to compel the EFCC to lift the restriction on the accounts.
The EFCC had arraigned the four companies on Thursday and the companies pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
Punch
quoted a senior EFCC official as saying that the commission would
subsequently apply for the total forfeiture of the funds.
“The
four companies, in whose accounts the monies were lodged, have pleaded
guilty to money laundering. We are therefore filing an application,
seeking the complete and total forfeiture of the money to the Federal
Government.
“The $15,591,700 should go (be deposited in) into the
Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Punch
quoted the EFCC source as saying.
On Thursday, the four accused
companies pleaded guilty to conspiring with Dudafa; a lawyer, Amajuoyi
Briggs; and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, to launder the sum of $15,
591,700 on or about November 13, 2013.
The EFCC, while arraigning
the seven accused persons before a Federal High Court in Lagos on
Thursday, admitted to the court that the $15.6m were proceeds of theft.
Though
Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the amended 15
counts pressed against them by the EFCC, the four companies, charged
along with them, owned up to committing the offence.
The guilty
plea was entered on behalf of Pluto, Seagate, Trans Ocean and Avalon by
one Friday Davies, Agbo Baro, Bioghowri Frederick and Taiwo Ebenezer,
respectively.
The EFCC had since frozen the $15.6m found in the
four companies’ accounts with Skye Bank Plc by placing a ‘No Debit
Order’ on the four accounts.
But Patience had filed a fundamental
rights enforcement suit against the EFCC and the bank, claiming that
the money, which the EFCC said were proceeds of theft, belonged to her.
Patience
is also seeking damages against Skye Bank in the sum of N200m for what
she termed a violation of her right to own personal property under
Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution.
But Patience’s suit against the EFCC and Skye Bank has yet to be heard by any judge.
However,
the EFCC arraigned Dudafa, Briggs, Bolodeoku and the four companies
before Justice Babs Kuewumi on Thursday for money laundering and
conspiring to retain proceeds of theft.
The EFCC also alleged
that the seven accused persons conspired to forge Skye Bank mandate
cards, purporting that they were signed by Friday Davies, Kola Fredrick,
Taiwo Ebenezer and Agbo Baro, to prejudice Skye Bank in their bid to
launder the $15.6m.
They were also accused of forging a Wema Bank
Corporate Account mandate card, purporting that it was signed by Taiwo
Ebenezer and Chima John to prejudice Wema Bank.