The Economic together with Financial Crimes Commission has discovered an uncompleted eight-storey edifice inward a prime number expanse of Abuja allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan, the married adult woman of erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan.
The building, which has been described yesteryear the EFCC every bit a ‘magnificent architectural edifice,’ has non yet been valued yesteryear the commission.
However, comparative analysis of like buildings on several trading sites such every bit OLX.com together with Jiji.ng, inside the same expanse position the worth of the edifice at N6bn.
Our correspondent, who visited the building, which is located inside the Central Business District, is betwixt the National Mosque together with the Federal Secretariat.
It was alleged inward documents sighted yesteryear PUNCH correspondent that Patience allegedly acquired the belongings through her foundation known every bit Aribawa Aurera Reach Out Foundation.
In a document, which has been attached to a courtroom application, the anti-graft way said it had written to the Corporate Affairs Commission to acquire the identities of the directors of the foundation who are believed to live on fronts for Patience.
The committee farther stated that it had written to the Abuja Geographical Information System to acquire the history of the belongings together with how together with when it was bought.
The anti-graft way has too written viii banks: Skye Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, Union Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa together with Unity Bank.
The EFCC had a few months agone frozen an concern human relationship belonging to Aribawa Aurera Reach Out Foundation with concern human relationship number 1222014221 inward Ecobank with a residual of N479m.
The anti-graft way said at that spot was no way Patience would bring been able to afford such a belongings every bit her final known labor was Permanent Secretary inward Bayelsa State.
The document read, “Plot 1350 Cadastral Zone A00 CBD which was allocated to Ariwabai Aurera Reach Out Foundation inward 2010 together with Certificate of Occupancy issued inward 2011. The plot bears an eight-storey edifice soundless nether construction.
“Inference may live on drawn from investigation that the suspect’s (Patience) final known official seat was permanent secretarial assistant inward Bayelsa State. Hence, at that spot is no way such magnificent architectural edifices could bring been built inside a curt infinite of time.
“There is a high probability that it could bring been built with the proceeds of crime. It is plainly clear that it is a illustration of coin laundering but at that spot is a demand to produce to a greater extent than investigation.”
The committee too commenced fresh moves to seize a N2bn hotel from Patience.
The PUNCH had simply reported that the hotel, which is located at Mabushi, had been painted with the inscription, ‘EFCC, Keep Off.’
However, unopen to men believed to live on workers of Patience, wiped off the EFCC inscription together with reclaimed the building.
The anti-graft agency, it was learnt, had proceeded to courtroom to obtain an interim forfeiture club for the N2bn hotel together with the N6bn plaza.
The document read inward part, “In watch of the foregoing, I asking for an interim forfeiture club on the ii properties with others linked to the suspect together with believed to bring been acquired from the proceeds of crime.
“This is especially really of import because attempts to score the properties were resisted together with fifty-fifty the share that was successfully marked was later cleaned off yesteryear the agents of the suspect.”
In a like development, the anti-graft way has too traced iii other properties inward Abuja to Patience inward Karsana, Wasa together with Idogwari areas of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to documents from AGIS, the iii properties were bought inward the names of ii companies – Finchley Top Homes Ltd. together with AM-PM Network Limited.
The depository fiscal establishment accounts of Finchley Top Homes Limited, which bring been traced to Patience, were frozen yesteryear the committee a few months ago.
The accounts include: Account number 1102001996 inward Ecobank, with a residual of N226,376,700.23 together with a fixed deposit of N1,099,511,484.88; a Skye Bank concern human relationship numbered 1771731336, with a residual of N14,173,848.85; Fidelity Bank concern human relationship numbered, 4011019539 with a residual of N1,800,494,000; Stanbic Bank concern human relationship numbered, 0016901361, with a residual of N40,594,12.88; together with Diamond Bank concern human relationship 0019213687 with a residual of N39,418,712.12.
In his reaction, Patience’s lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), said he was non aware of the fresh endeavour to seize to a greater extent than of his client’s properties.
He, however, said it was lamentable that the erstwhile rootage lady had acquire a victim of a witch-hunt.
Adedipe said her customer had dragged the EFCC to the Court of Appeal over the freezing of Mrs. Jonathan’s concern human relationship acre a harassment arrange had been filed against the anti-graft way earlier a Federal High Court.
The senior advocate said, “I am non aware of whatsoever of these but nosotros are inward courtroom over the freezing of her accounts together with that illustration is at the Court of Appeal degree together with nosotros bring a commutation human rights against them inward court.
“My thinking is that the EFCC, which says nobody is higher upwards the law, should bring waited for the judiciary to destination its process. In my humble opinion, it appears they are abusing judicial powers. When y'all file something today, tomorrow y'all file another. Why non position everything inward i pot? That is why they lose cases.
“Why are they focusing on Mrs. Jonathan who was neither a government minister nor a regime official? I’m non proverb people should pocket but it may seem she is beingness persecuted for her active purpose inward the final election.”
Patience rootage came nether EFCC investigation inward May 2016 when the committee arrested a erstwhile Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa.
Mrs. Jonathan set claim to almost $15m industrial plant life inward depository fiscal establishment accounts allegedly belonging to Dudafa’s domestic servants.
She afterwards sued Skye Bank Plc together with the EFCC. The committee thus went ahead to freeze her personal concern human relationship with a residual of $5m.
The anti-graft way had too frozen depository fiscal establishment accounts belonging to her relatives together with friends including concern mogul, Bola Shagaya.
PUNCH