
Four companies involved in a money laundering case linked to former
First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has pleaded guilty before Justice Babs
Kuewumi of a Federal High Court in Lagos today Sept. 15th.
The four companies whose names are Pluto Property and
Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment
Company Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited;
and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited; all pleaded
guilty to conspiring with former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to
ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, and two others to
launder the sum of $15, 591,700.
The former First lady had written a letter to the EFCC,
claimed ownership of the accounts owned by the four companies that are
currently being investigated for fraud.
In the same vain, a group known as The
Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has urged
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to invite a former
first lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan for questioning over the unexplained
$31.4million traced to her company accounts. This was in a statement by the
Executive Director of the organisation Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi. The group Dr. Ibrahim said that it is worrisome that despite being indicted, Mrs. Jonathan is yet to be invited for questioning. According to him;
"Without
prejudice to the right of the indicted person to seek redress through
the judiciary, we call on the EFCC not to roll over and allow corruption
have a field day. CHRICED is not unmindful of the fact that by her
court action, the former first lady is merely trying to use the
judiciary to stop the EFCC from arresting and investigating her.
"By
now, the EFCC must have been used to the antics of people who have the
albatross of their corrupt actions hanging around their necks, yet are
quick to protest any legal step taken to bring them to justice. In the
case of the former first lady, it would be dangerous for the anti-graft
commission to give the impression that it is scared of taking on the big
names who have been indicted," Zikirullahi said.