Patience Jonathan’s Application Stalls Hearing Of Suit On Frozen $15.6m
Hearing of the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, seeking to recover the $15.591 million frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was yesterday stalled due to the failure of her counsel to serve some of the defendants in the suit copies of her amended claims.
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos was forced to adjourned the suit to February 13 after the former first lady’s lawyer Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), sought for an adjournment to enable him serve her client’s amended claims on the companies, in whose names the accounts containing the money was opened.
Mrs. Jonathan in the suit is claiming the sum of $200 million against the EFCC, Skye Bank Plc, a former special assistant to her husband, Waripama-Owei Dudafa and four others for what she described as the inconvenience and embarrass she suffered as a result of the freezing of her accounts.
Also joined in the suit are: Pluto Property and Investment company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Transocean Property and investment company Ltd and Globus Integrarted Service Ltd.
It will be recalled that the four companies, which the EFCC claimed was used by Dudafa to launder the $15.591 million dollars, had already pleaded guilty to the offence of money laundering before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.
The sum involved in the criminal case is the same money which Mrs Jonathan is claiming belongs to her as the sole signatory to the accounts of the convicted companies.
She, however, denied ownership of the companies.
At resumed hearing of the matter on Wednesday, Adedipe told the court that other defendants in the case have been served with copies of the processes while they have also served their counter-affidavits on the plaintiff.
In the absence of any opposition to the silk’s request, the matter was eventually adjourned to February 13 for further hearing.
