EFCC Discovers Additional $5m In Patience Jonathan’s Account

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has traced an additional $5m to the Skye Bank account of Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Reports on Monday indicated that the sum of $31.4m were found in the accounts of four companies, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited.

But Mrs. Jonathan in an affidavit deposed on her behalf by an aide, Sammie Samiari says the accounts of the four companies which has since been frozen have a balance of $15, 591,700.

It remains unclear how the earlier $31.4m said to have been traced to a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa came about.

The discovery of the fresh $5 million brings the total amount so far traced to the former first lady to $20m.

A source at the EFCC according to Punch said, “While we were investigating Dudafa, we traced the four companies to him. The companies have domiciliary accounts at Skye Bank with a balance of about $15m. So, we obtained a court order and froze the accounts.

“We then traced the directors of the companies who then denied ownership of the accounts. It was later that we were informed that the accounts belonged to Patience Jonathan and that she is the sole signatory to the accounts. She was given a special card which she used in making withdrawals across the world.

“We, therefore, wondered why the accounts were not opened in her name if she had nothing to hide. In fact, we later found out that her personal account, which bears her name, has a balance of $5m. One wonders where a person, who has never held a government position, got the money from. She was not our initial target but she certainly has questions to answer.”