EFCC links N2.1bn to ex-First Lady through dead mother's account

 

An interim report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed another N2.1 billion linked to former First Lady Patience Jonathan through a company incorporated by her deceased mother, Mama Charity Oba.

According to the report, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan is suspected of laundering money through Magel Resort Ltd after becoming the sole signatory to the account of the company.

The report read, "Another company owned by Mrs Jonathan is Magel Resort Ltd. It was incorporated by Mrs. Jonathan's late mother. But Patience Jonathan became the sole signatory to the account of the company by board resolution upon the demise of her mother.

"Though registered as a resort agency, sources at the EFCC disclosed that the agency was probing the circumstances in which the firm secured over N200m IT contract from the National Information Technology Development Agency.

"The contract was allegedly bankrolled through the National Information Technology Development Fund. Several other persons under investigation for money laundering by the anti-graft agency were discovered to have made payments into the company's account including a hotelier in Central Area, Abuja, who has been invited for questioning.

"The total sum allegedly laundered through the account of Magel Resort Limited, owned by Mrs Jonathan and her late mother, is put at N2.114bn."

With the former First Lady under probe for engaging in fraudulent activities especially though some of her non-governmental organisations, the report also revealed that she received suspicious payments from her domestic aides who are also trustees of some of her NGOs.

The EFCC has invited many of the persons of interests in the probe for questioning as Mrs. Jonathan is suspected of laundering money through many companies.

According to the report, "Investigations equally discovered that Mrs. Jonathan maintains a dollar account with Diamond Bank which received huge financial inflow from her domestic aides.

"Some of the domestic aides that made payments into the accounts are also trustees of her so-called NGO and director in her companies. The balance in the account was $12,831,173.

"Another dollar account of the former First Lady was discovered in Skye Bank. Inflows into the account came through deposits by domestic aides of Mrs. Jonathan. 

"Intelligence reports indicate that most of the purchase of luxury items by the former First Lady was through the Platinum card of the account. The total amount in the account is $7.9m.

"Another discovery was the N2.1bn and N1.8bn deposited into the accounts of AM PM Global Network Limited and Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited respectively, between 2009 and 2015. Both companies are linked to the former First Lady.

"Another N1.140bn was also allegedly laundered by Mrs. Jonathan through the account of Lawari Furniture and Baths Limited, whose address is given as 100 Akamfa Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

"The bulk of the money was deposited by Bureau de Change operators."

Some of the companies that are under scrutiny by the EFCC have also been discovered to have bogus addresses as mails sent to them were returned undelivered.

The total amount of money now linked to Mrs. Jonathan by the anti-graft agency is N17 billion as the two parties continue to clash in court.

In June, she filed for general damages against the EFCC, seeking compensation in the sum of N2 billion for what she tells the court is due to the trauma of being subjected to incessant harassments by the agency through negative media publications.

She alleged that the commission's malicious campaigns against her were carried out by the respondent without prior invitation to defend herself.

She said her rights and good public image had been violated under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as a result of the respondent's actions.

She is also seeking a declaration de-freezing all her bank accounts and those of her relatives held down by the EFCC under the guise of investigation of proceeds of crime.

She also wrote a petition to the House of Representatives, urging lawmakers to call the EFCC to order for the unfair harassment that she believes is politically-motivated by the current administration.