by
Having
frozen her personal account with a balance of $5m as well as four other
accounts linked to her with a balance of $15.6m, the EFCC is set to
invite Patience Jonathan.
Patiece Jonathan
Punch Newspaper
has exclusively reported that an Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) detective has revealed that the Skye Bank accounts of
former first lady, Patience Jonathan, which contained a total of
$15million, were opened with fake identity cards and driving licences
Recall that the anti graft agency had froze four Skye Bank accounts
of four companies containing more than $15million in all, and the
former president’s wife subsequently claimed ownership of the monies.
She has since emerged as the subject of an EFCC investigation, but
she has continued maintaining her innocence — even though the four
individuals representing the companies linked with the alleged
laundering have pleaded guilty to the charge in court.
Although Patience insists that the money belongs to her and she
does not know the companies, directors of the companies are domestic
workers of Waripamowei Dudafa, special adviser on domestic affairs to
Goodluck Jonathan, the immediate past president.
The commission also froze a fifth Skye Bank account owned by
Patience, containing $5million, and is now set to invite her for
questioning.
According to Punch, EFCC detectives have already visited the Skye
Bank B.ranch on Adeola Hopewell, Victoria Island, where the accounts
were opened and has obtained the files containing Patience’s
information.
“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,” the EFCC detective was quoted as saying.
“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?”
EFCC investigations revealed that the accounts were opened between
2013 and 2014 — although an affidavit by one Sammie Somiari, deposed to
on behalf of Patience, claimed that Dudafa helped Patience open the bank
accounts in 2010.
According to Somiari, Dudafa brought two Skye Bank officers to meet Patience at home to open five accounts, on March 22, 2010.
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