U.S.$15 Million – Patience Jonathan Loses in Court

Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High
Court Lagos, on Tuesday refused to restrain a fellow judge from
taking steps in relation to the frozen $15.5 million allegedly
belonging to Patience Jonathan.

Mr. Idris declined an application by
counsel to the former first lady, Ifedayo Adedipe, who sought an
order to restrain Justice Babs Kuewumi from taking further steps on
the frozen sum

Mr. Adedipe had urged the court to stop
Justice Kuewumi from making any forfeiture orders, in respect of
the said sum, which was frozen by the EFCC, until the determination
of an interlocutory application on the subject.

It will be recalled that Mrs. Jonathan
had instituted a fundamental rights suit against the EFCC, claiming
the sum of $200 million as damages for inconveniences suffered.

In her suit, she had joined the EFCC,
Skye Bank plc, and a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan,
Warampo Dudafa, as respondents.

Also joined in the suit are four
companies: Pluto Property Ltd, Seagate Property Development and
Investment Company Ltd, Transocean company Ltd and Globus
Integrated Service Ltd.

Mr. Dudafa was charged alongside the
four companies before Justice Kuewumi, on 15 counts of money
laundering.

Representatives of the four companies,
which the EFCC said were used by Mr. Dudafa to launder the said
money, had all pleaded guilty to the offences.

The said $15.5 million is the same sum
which the former first lady claims belongs to her as sole signatory
to the accounts of the companies.

When the case was called on Tuesday,
Justice Idris acknowledged a letter from counsel representing Skye
Bank, Lanre Ogunlesi, stating that he was indisposed and could not
attend the court.

The judge added that since Mr. Ogunlesi
has requested for a new date to enable him appear in court, the
hearing of the application on notice could not proceed.

Meanwhile, before the court could
adjourned the case, Mr. Adedipe had urged the judge to direct the
EFCC not to tamper with the subject matter of the case pending the
hearing of the interlocutory application.

In response, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi
Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the application on the grounds
that the accounts which housed the money had been frozen.

He urged the court to dismiss the
application with a “wave of hand”; adding that there was already an
order of court convicting four defendants for warehousing proceeds
of crime.

In a short ruling, Justice Idris held
that he could not go into the merits or demerits of the
interlocutory application, until it is moved.

He ordered accelerated hearing of the
case and said that he could not make any order that will be
prejudicial to the outcome of the main suit.

He consequently adjourned the case to
December 7 for hearing of the main application.

In her suit, Mrs. Jonathan is urging the
court to issue an order discharging the freezing order, and
restraining the EFCC and its agent from further placing a freezing
order on the said accounts.

(NAN)

The post U.S.$15 Million – Patience Jonathan Loses in
Court appeared first from online sources and was reposted by the community on Welcome to 9jalegal –
Nigeria’s Leading Legal Information and Services Portal.

Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High
Court Lagos, on Tuesday refused to restrain a fellow judge from
taking steps in relation to the frozen $15.5 million allegedly
belonging to Patience Jonathan.

Mr. Idris declined an application by
counsel to the former first lady, Ifedayo Adedipe, who sought an
order to restrain Justice Babs Kuewumi from taking further steps on
the frozen sum

Mr. Adedipe had urged the court to stop
Justice Kuewumi from making any forfeiture orders, in respect of
the said sum, which was frozen by the EFCC, until the determination
of an interlocutory application on the subject.

It will be recalled that Mrs. Jonathan
had instituted a fundamental rights suit against the EFCC, claiming
the sum of $200 million as damages for inconveniences suffered.

In her suit, she had joined the EFCC,
Skye Bank plc, and a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan,
Warampo Dudafa, as respondents.

Also joined in the suit are four
companies: Pluto Property Ltd, Seagate Property Development and
Investment Company Ltd, Transocean company Ltd and Globus
Integrated Service Ltd.

Mr. Dudafa was charged alongside the
four companies before Justice Kuewumi, on 15 counts of money
laundering.

Representatives of the four companies,
which the EFCC said were used by Mr. Dudafa to launder the said
money, had all pleaded guilty to the offences.

The said $15.5 million is the same sum
which the former first lady claims belongs to her as sole signatory
to the accounts of the companies.

When the case was called on Tuesday,
Justice Idris acknowledged a letter from counsel representing Skye
Bank, Lanre Ogunlesi, stating that he was indisposed and could not
attend the court.

The judge added that since Mr. Ogunlesi
has requested for a new date to enable him appear in court, the
hearing of the application on notice could not proceed.

Meanwhile, before the court could
adjourned the case, Mr. Adedipe had urged the judge to direct the
EFCC not to tamper with the subject matter of the case pending the
hearing of the interlocutory application.

In response, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi
Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the application on the grounds
that the accounts which housed the money had been frozen.

He urged the court to dismiss the
application with a “wave of hand”; adding that there was already an
order of court convicting four defendants for warehousing proceeds
of crime.

In a short ruling, Justice Idris held
that he could not go into the merits or demerits of the
interlocutory application, until it is moved.

He ordered accelerated hearing of the
case and said that he could not make any order that will be
prejudicial to the outcome of the main suit.

He consequently adjourned the case to
December 7 for hearing of the main application.

In her suit, Mrs. Jonathan is urging the
court to issue an order discharging the freezing order, and
restraining the EFCC and its agent from further placing a freezing
order on the said accounts.

(NAN)

The post U.S.$15 Million – Patience Jonathan Loses in
Court appeared first from online sources and was reposted by the community on Welcome to 9jalegal –
Nigeria’s Leading Legal Information and Services Portal.