A Federal High Court, Lagos, has granted an order temporarily freezing N350 million belonging to AM-PM Global Network Limited, alleged to have been secretly hidden in an account with Stanbic-IBTC Bank by former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari ordered the temporary freezing of the account following an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and argued by its counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.
In a nine-paragraph affidavit attached to the ex-parte application and sworn to by an operative of the EFCC, Mr. Musbau Yahaya, the commission said it sometimes ago received a damning intelligence report concerning the funds.
It further averred that upon investigation, it was found out that the bank was in possession of proceeds of unlawful act and retained same in the account sought to be attached.
The commission stated that between June 20, 2012 and November 15, 2013, the respondent (AM-PM Global Network Limited), fraudulently received N1,206, 950 billion into its Diamond Bank account number 0026718889, being proceeds of unlawful enrichment derived by Patience Jonathan, who was then appointed Permanent Secretary by the Bayelsa State Government.
Yahaya also swore that in a bid to dissipate the fund, the respondent opened account number 0016971559 with Stanbic-IBTC Bank at Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island branch.
He also averred that out of N1,206,950 billion, AM-PM Global Network Limited transferred N350 million from its Diamond Bank’s account to the account sought to be attached in Stanbic IBTC in a desperate bid to dissipate the funds.
Justice Rabiu-Shagari after listening to the submissions made by the EFCC counsel, ordered the Manager of Stanbic-IBTC Bank, Walter Carrington Crescent branch, to in the interim freeze the N350 million belonging to AM-PM Global Network Limited kept in the bank.
Also, Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has declined the application filed by Mr. Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, to travel abroad for medical care.
Dudafa, through his counsel, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), had urged the court to order the release of his international passport to enable him travel abroad for medical care for spinal cord injury allegedly sustained while in the custody of the EFCC.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court not to grant the application on the grounds that the EFCC had written to a Lagos State government hospital to examine Dudafa’s health and to determine whether he could be treated in the country or abroad.
Ruling on the application yesterday, the trial judge said he could not disregard the overwhelming evidence given by the prosecutor and grant Dudafa’s application.
He said that expert report received about his condition established that he could be treated in Nigeria.
Source: today.ng
