Former Nigerian First lady in corruption trial

Nigerian First lady has been under investigation in Nigeria for corruption since the beginning of this year.

Reacting to newspaper reports about missing $175m, the Former Nigerian First lady, Patience Jonathan, says she has less than $10 million in her accounts that have been frozen by the EFCC. Mrs Jonathan said this while reacting to media reports that $175 million was moved from the four company accounts linked to her that are currently under investigation for money laundering. 

In a statement released by her spokesperson, Sam Dokubo, the former First lady said reports that she had secretly moved $175 million from the accounts being investigated is untrue. Her statement in part reads;

“For the avoidance of doubt, while indeed it is true that Dame Patience is in court for the protection of her fundamental rights infringed upon by a ‘No debit order’ placed on her funds by the EFCC, it is not for $15m but for funds less than $10m as has been clarified several times.

The purported story in a newspaper on November 19, 2016, about a missing $175m allegedly belonging to the former first lady is not just fictitious but plain falsehood. The EFCC has not made any statement to the existence of an investigation of any missing $175m linked to the former first lady. 

If any such funds as claimed, which was deposited by certain verifiable persons has gone missing without a trace from a known bank, Skye Bank, as was reported, then, the bank, its officials and those mentioned must be held to account for the funds and not the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who was in no way a part of the transaction. 

The claim that the money was credited to a company linked to Dame Patience Jonathan is also false; otherwise it should be officially substantiated with credible evidence by Skye Bank and the EFCC that are jointly mentioned in the report.”

Source: Lindaikejiblog