The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to invite the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, after freezing her personal account with a balance of $5m as well as four other accounts linked to her with a balance of $15.6m.
Sources at the EFCC told SUNDAY PUNCH that detectives had visited the bank where the accounts were opened and had obtained the files containing Patience’s information.
The detectives have been able to establish a prima facie case of money laundering and forgery against Patience.
It will be recalled that as part of investigations into a former Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, the EFCC traced four company accounts to him.
The bank accounts of the four companies Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; and Globus Integrated Service Limited were said to have been opened with stolen identities.
A detective at the EFCC said: “After three months of investigation, I can confirm to you that we are set to invite Patience Jonathan. We obtained the files from the bank and we realised that those accounts with the $15m were opened with fake identity cards, including driving licences.
“We took the cards and went to the Federal Road Safety Corps to verify if the cards were authentic. We found out that the cards were fake. So, this is not just money laundering but a clear case of fraud. If they had nothing to hide, why did they go to this length?”
While the companies have pleaded guilty, Patience insists that the money belongs to her but claims she does not know the companies.
EFCC investigations however revealed that the accounts were opened between 2013 and 2014.
Meanwhile, sources within the agency said that the commission had been under pressure to drop the case as there are plans by Patience’s supporters to embark on a series of protests this week.
The Niger Delta Youths (NDY) in conjunction with Civil Liberties Organizations (CLO) and other voluntary youths bodies on Thursday, September 23, staged a protest in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state.
The protesters are against the victimization of former first lady by the EFCC. The group is calling on the EFCC to leave the former First lady alone, insisting that Patience, who is also from Rivers state, was innocent.
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