By Obiejesi Kingsley
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, may soon pick up former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, over charges of money laundering, this website has reliably learnt.
The anti-graft agency has traced over $22.3 million to five bank accounts belonging to companies operated by aides of her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who are now facing similar charges.
But in a surprise twist, the former First Lady admitted that she is the owner and signatory to the five accounts. She said the money belonged to her and that she had never received any money from any unknown sources. But she was silent on the sources of the cash wired into the accounts.
A top source at the EFCC told the www.icirnigeria.org that the former first lady’s revelation had given new leads to investigators, stressing that “the way the investigations are going, we may soon arrest Mrs Jonathan for prosecution.”
Asked whether the anti-graft agency has been able to link her to any crime, the source said: “People who do money laundering don’t do it in their names. You cannot expect a first lady to walk into a bank with money and do such transactions. They always use third parties”.
He said there was no way Jonathan could escape prosecution with the ‘tonnes’ of evidence all linking her to the charges of money laundering.
Representatives of four of the companies allegedly used to launder money had pleaded guilty to the offence. The companies are: Pluto Properties and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Titans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited.
But her lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole, described the representatives of the companies as unknown persons, as they allegedly did not show letters authorising them by their respective boards to represent them in the case.
The former first lady had also explained that she opened the accounts to facilitate her overseas travels, particularly for medical treatment, sundry purchases for herself and her late mother, Charity Oba.
She indicted Wampemo-Owei Dudafa, the former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to the former president, and Skye Bank officials for registering phony companies for four of the five accounts.