* Patience Jonathan *Pix source: Lagos Television
Story by Gbenga Ogunbufunmi
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court, Lagos today fixed Feb. 11 to deliver a judgment in an application seeking the final forfeiture of the sum of $4.8 million and N7.4 billion allegedly linked to the immediate past First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
EFCC filed the application against the former first lady and six others.
Others defendants in the matter are Globus Integrated Services Ltd., Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd., Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd. Magel Resort Ltd., and Esther Oba, as the second to the seventh respondents, respectively.
The commission had on April 20, 2018, via an ex-parte application, obtained an order of interim forfeiture of the sums
EFCC Counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo had on October 29, 2018, filed an application for final forfeiture of the sums.
At the resumed hearing of the matter today, Oyedepo told the court that EFCC had filed and served a further affidavit to the respondents’ application to show cause.
Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Counsel to the respondents, however, opposed the affidavit from paragraphs eight to paragraph 12 and prayed the court to expunge them.
According to Ozekhome, the prosecution raised new issues in an attempt to discredit a video exhibit on the case, instead of responding to existing issues.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun held that there was no need to expunge the paragraphs, noting that no new issues were raised.
In his submission for final forfeiture, Oyedepo told the court that Jonathan, fraudulently diverted funds from Women for Change Initiative, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) linked to her.
According to him, most of the funds were fraudulently diverted from the NGO to other accounts of the second to sixth respondents – companies said to be owned by the former first lady.
Oyedepo said, “Women for Change Initiative is not joined in this suit; we are not asking for forfeiture of its money, the funds have been converted and that is an unlawful act.’’
He further told the court that Jonathan signed some of the fund transfer instructions personally and also signed using other people’s names and passport photographs.
Oyedepo also said that as regards the $8.4 million, the first respondent (Jonathan) had not been able to disclose to the court, the identities of those, who made the donations.
He said that the EFCC attached exhibits to show that the former first lady was the sole signatory to the companies’ accounts.
“The funds we are seeking to forfeit from the second to sixth respondents are not funds from their legitimate businesses, but those traced from the NGO,” Oyedepo said.
After today’s proceedings the trial judge adjourned the matter till February 11 for judgement.
