Court orders Patience Jonathan’s multiple accounts frozen

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered that the multiple accounts the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said belongs to the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, be frozen on account of suspected proceeds from crime.

Among the different accounts, the one domiciled with Skye Bank plc has a balance of $5,316.66.

In granting the order, the presiding judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, mandated the EFCC to file an undertaking regarding the damages payable by the commission should it turn out that the order should not have been made.

The judgement was sequel to a further affidavit in support of Ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Mr. Abdulahi Tukur, an operative of the EFCC and filed before the court by EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo requesting the court to urgently direct the managers of the bank accounts contained in the schedule filed with the summons (FHC/L/CS/1343/16) to temporarily forfeit the money in the accounts, to avoid further tampering with such.

Others affected by the court order are five companies; Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel Resort Limited, AM -PM Global Network Limited and Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.

EFCC is accusing Finchley Top Homes Limited of fraudulently opening account number 1102001996 domiciled with Ecobank Plc and has a current balance of N226,376,700.23 and a fixed deposit with a balance of N1,099,511,484.88.

It said the company also illegally opened other accounts These are account 1771731336, domiciled with Skye Bank and with a current balance of N14,173,848.85; Fidelity Bank account 4011019539 with a current balance of N1,800,494,000; Stanbic Bank account 0016901361 with a current balance of N40,594,12.88; and Diamond Bank account 0019213687 with a current balance of N39,418,712.12.

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Aribawa Aruera Reachout Foundation, according to EFCC opened account number 1222014221 with Ecobank and has a closing balance of N479,893,431.01, while Magel Resort Limited accounts (4011019546/5250059782) with Fidelity Bank has a subsisting balance of N1,000,494,000.

It also operates two other accounts (1011744356) in Zenith Bank, which has a balance of N858, 923,982, and 0024351590 with Diamond Bank and has a balance of N174, 166,207.00.

AM-PM Global Network Limited the commission claimed, opened account number 0026718889 at Diamond Bank and has a balance of N7, 213,303.50. The account opened by Pansy Oil and Gas Limited at Fidelity Bank (4011019577) has a current balance of N1, 809,666,494.68, while that at Diamond Bank (0026838491) has a balance of N55, 930,024.50.

One Esther Oba, who the order also affected is alleged to have a balance of $429,381.87 in her account while the companies collectively have a balances totalling N7, 418,829,290.94 in six commercial banks.

EFCC said it discovered Esther Oba opened account number 0019213689 with Diamond Bank and has a current balance of $429,381.87.

According to the EFCC, the analyses were carried out after it receiving an intelligence report showing that the accounts ought to be investigated.

 

 

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