Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigators probing ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan’s link with five choice buildings, including a N5billion hotel in Abuja, have unearthed seven additional properties believed to be owned by her.
The detectives were in Port Harcourt (Rivers State) and Yenagoa (Bayelsa State) all week trying to establish whether four properties in the two cities truly belong to Mrs. Jonathan.
It was gathered that the assignment led the investigators to suspect that seven more properties including the former Customs Service officers mess in Port Harcourt and a plot of land under construction were acquired by her.
Others in the Rivers State capital are: two duplexes at 2/3 Bauchi Street; landed property with blocks at Ambowei Street; three Luxury apartments of 4-bedroom each at Ambowei Street; and Grand View Hotel on Airport road.
Those in Yenagoa are: two marble duplexes at Otioko GRA by Isaac Boro Expressway; Glass House on Sani Abacha Expressway which serves as office of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board; Akemfa Etie Plaza by AP filling Station, Melford Okilo Road; and Aridolf Resort, Wellness and Spa along Sani Abacha Expressway.
The anti-graft agency, which says it has so far recovered N1b and secured 24 convictions in the South South, may invoke Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004 on the affected properties after due verification, sources said yesterday.
Already, the EFCC has written to the Head of the Civil Service in Bayelsa State demanding the pay status and allowances of Mrs. Jonathan during her tenure as a Permanent Secretary.
It also sought explanation on whether or not she was paid in dollars, besides travelling estacodes, while in office.
The investigators are already back in Abuja to continue their assignment.
A highly placed source said: “The ex-First Lady is allegedly linked with the acquisition of the former Customs Service Officers mess in Port-Harcourt.
“We also identified three luxury apartments of four-bedroom each believed to be owned by Mrs. Jonathan. The apartments are tastefully furnished with the state of the art accessories.
“After verification of these assets and completion of our investigation, we may seek the order of the court to place the affected assets under Interim Forfeiture.
“Permission will be sought to ask the ex-First Lady to explain some of the sources of her wealth in line with Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment Act.
“As a First Lady, there was no appropriation for her office and she was not on salary.”
It was also gathered that the EFCC last Friday submitted a letter to the Head of the Bayelsa State Civil Service demanding the pay status and allowances of Mrs. Jonathan as a Permanent Secretary.
A top source said: “The letter was submitted and duly acknowledged. We already have the acknowledgement copy with us for record purpose.
“We asked for Mrs. Jonathan’s salary and remuneration status as a Permanent Secretary while in office. We demanded to know if she was paid in dollars or in any other currency.
“We wrote the letter in line with Section 7 of the EFCC Act because we suspected that she has been living above her means.”
Section 7 of the EFCC Act says: “The commission has power to (a) cause any investigations to be conducted as to whether any person, corporate body or organization has committed any offence under this Act or other law relating to economic and financial crimes.
“(b) Cause investigations to be conducted into the properties of any person if it appears to the commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of income.”
This is the second leg of the ongoing probe of Mrs. Jonathan after about $19.8million had been frozen in five accounts allegedly traced to her.
Although she initially confirmed the ownership of the accounts, there was a twist on Friday when her counsel, Mr. Charles Ogboli, said she knew about three accounts including one belonging to Mrs. Jonathan and two others owned by her late mum, Madam Charity Fyneface Oba.
A report of the EFCC investigative team had implicated the former First Lady.
The report of the investigative team said in part: “Based on the investigation so far carried out, it has revealed that the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan has a cumulative balance of $14,029.881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.
“Again, her personal account, different from the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.
“Considering the above stated findings, we can safely conclude that a prima facie case of conspiracy to retain proceeds of unlawful activities, retention of the proceeds of unlawful activities, money laundering contrary to Section 15(3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and forgery contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004 have been established against the aforementioned suspects.”
The EFCC claimed that all the funds traced to Patience Jonathan’s accounts were proceeds of gratification.
The report said: “The intelligence revealed that Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel fraudulently received various sums of money, being proceeds of gratification and retained same on behalf of the then first Family and for himself.”
Meanwhile, the Zonal Head of the EFCC in the South-South, Mr. Ishaq Saliu has said that the zone has so far secured 24 convictions and recovered N1billion.
Saliu made the disclosures in Port Harcourt when some Niger Delta youths protested to his office on Friday against the ongoing investigation of the former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.
He dismissed allegations that the EFCC was selective in its investigation and prosecution.
He said the EFCC will always be on the side of the law in its operations.
He said: “There is nothing selective in the cases of EFCC. We are professionals to the core. Once an allegation is made, before somebody is even invited – the invitation is the last leg of our cases.
“Bank documents and things we need to inquire would have been gotten. Port Harcourt Zonal office alone, this year has 24 convictions and recovered over N1billion.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Nigerians are no longer in this media trial cheap blackmail and hollow propaganda. The fact is that this government lacks what it takes to run even a Local Government Area. So all these media hullabaloo is just to divert attention from their woeful failings.
ReplyDeleteSai Baba!
Change dole!
Stfu IMBECILE!! So you're happy with the way money has been stolen. You're one of the reasons why Nigeria CAN'T move forward.
DeleteYou're still living in the past...my friend. Let the woman clear her name by herself...or do you want to clear it for her...Mr Hullabaloo...Mr Solicitor & Advocate...
DeleteI wonder why you don't want a thief to be exposed whether in the media or anywhere. Are you also a thief?
DeleteIt is very obvious that a lot of Nigerians are buying the cheap Propaganda of this government. I need everyone to stop, think and ask a few rhetoric questions. The Minister of Information gave us some figures mid year of monies recovered from perceived looters. few months later, the same minister gave a highly reduced figure with no explanation's. similarly, Amachi, and co came to the media to say $200B is to be returned by the UAE government to Nigeria as loot sized or recovered. at it stands now, the only sized money that this government is chasing if the Abacha loot. what happened to the UAE money. This same government/EFCC told us that monies were returned and when put together, it surpasses the 2016 budget figure. where is the money. you eill also realize that the noise making and shenanigan about looters, court cases, bail with hundreds of millions has suddenly died down.
DeleteWe need all monies stolen to be returned by whosoever stole them. but it must be done right. people should not be crucified on pages of newspapers of social media. The way it is now, the EFCC is more of a Propaganda machine than an anti corruption agency.
Isiaka,you are absolutely right my Brother.
ReplyDeleteMy mate from Saint Vincent asked is she related to Pablo?
ReplyDeleteIsiaka, I am surprised at your comments. If EFFC decide to keep quiet and do their job, people like you will call their actions autocratic, now they have decided to make their investigations and findings open, you call it a cheap media trial. I wonder what else will be done to make people like you happy. Besides, mind you that EFCC never went after Mrs. Jonathan. She was the one that exposed herself. Remember what she told us during the 2015 electioneering campaign, that we should not vote Buhari, that if we do, our husbands and wives would be jailed. What does that tell you? To me what that tells me is that she indicted Goodluck Jonathan's government and all his team, and herself because she is aware of all the atrocities that government committed against Nigeria and Nigerians. Any way that's by the way. I also want to tell you that this government has all it takes to run a continent let alone a country. Buhari's emergence as president of Nigeria was ordained by God, and God has given Buhari the Grace to pilot the affairs of this great nation. Don't worry, we shall come out of the mess Goodluck and his team put us in. God bless us all.
ReplyDeleteIf you hear anybody say I no steal money stone the person no no jail the person. Me I dey laff.
ReplyDeleteI foresee a husband carrying food to the wife in kirikiri.
Just 9, what of jagaban of Lagos?
ReplyDeleteI think she is entitled to having properties. I do not think telling us about this makes sense. What we need to know is the evidence that the properties were from proceeds of illegal transactions. We need to move forward please.
ReplyDeleteWhat was Turaiya Yaradua doing to have over 90 million Naira at home that was stolen by her domestic servant.
ReplyDeleteI am not saying that stealing should be condoned but if we really want to fight corruption, then it should include all Presidents before GEJ and all political officers that served before and are currently serving.
Where are all the moneys that have been recovered so far? Are they in account somewhere yielding I interest for some people? I think this is a case of pot calling kettle black.
Buhari can not have people like Anarchist and Fashion in is cabinet and say that he is fighting corruption.
Somebody like Tinubu is a major player in the president's party. Who has probbed his source of wealth or how he was able to acquire almost all the choice plots in Lekki?
The anti-curruption fight should be total and not sectional or vindictive.
So we should start from nnamdi and awolowo shagari abi... Mr wonder how you will be realistic in your way of life.. Probing the govt that handed over to me should be my concern and in the cause of Probing if it links to other regim fine if not I have no business with them..Jonathan would have prob his predecessor not buhari... This fight must fight somewhere and you and I know that the the most realistic start point is from the previous govt
DeleteTinubu owns hundreds of houses and landed properties in Lagos and Abuja. Has the EFCC investigated how he acquired those properties? Some fools like Demola are here posting foolish comments. If its PDP, the person must be guilty. If it's APC, the person is a saint. Whereas there are many criminals in the so-called APC e.g Tinubu, Fashola, Amaechi, Aisha Buhari, Saraki, Dogara etc.
ReplyDeleteStay there
DeleteBros you really need to go back to school. If you are a Lagosian and you feel that Tinubu stole from you please kindly file a petition against him. Tinubu has never held any federal position before and has therefore never stolen from the Federal government. Mama Peace was a wife of the President of Nigeria and is been accused of stealing or withholding proceeds of crime. We should stop all this please. Why should one even defend a thief? It's really amazing.
DeleteBuhari and Efcc are ridiculing Jonathan bcos Jonathan handed power to an enemy of South South.Time will tell.
ReplyDelete