The wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan,
has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to lift the
restriction on her $15m accounts, which was frozen in four companies’
accounts by the anti-graft agency, saying the money are for her medical
bills.
She claimed that she uses the account to settle medical bills outside the
country.
Patience disclosed this in a letter (reference number GA/Abibo/00226/2016)
written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, which was addressed
to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The letter read in part, “It is noteworthy to emphasise that the said
accounts, which were in US dollar denomination, were card-based accounts
and our client is the sole signatory to these accounts.
“However, our client has been operating the said accounts using the cards
for her medical bill payments and purchases for her private purposes
without any let or hindrance.
“Our client was therefore surprised when the said cards stop functioning
on July 7, 2016, or thereabout. Our client immediately, thereupon,
contacted Skye Bank Plc through our solicitors.
‘‘It was only then that the bank officials informed our client that the
said accounts were placed on a ‘No Debit Order’ following investigations
and instruction from your commission and this is without notice to our
client by either the bank or the commission.
“It is in the light of the foregoing that we urge you to use your good
offices to vacate the ‘No Debit/Freezing Order’ placed on the said
accounts.”
“Despite the foregoing, our client, who is a law-abiding citizen, has
watched with surprise how efforts are being made surreptitiously to
indirectly harass or harangue her and short-change her of her personal
funds in breach of her fundamental human rights.
“We urge you sir, to kindly intervene to stop the untoward and wrongful
actions of your officials to embarrass, inconvenience and short-change our
client.”