Preliminary investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reveals that the funds are proceeds of money laundering following the establishment of aprima faciecase against the ex-First Lady and 10 others.
Apart from Mrs Patience Jonathan, whose suit at the Federal High Court claiming the ownership of the fund indicted, the 10 suspects indicted in the investigation are a former Senior Special Assistant (Domestic/Household and Social Events to the former President), Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel; Damola Bolodeoku; Dipo Oshodi; Theodora Varinik; Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited; Globus Integrated Services Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Skye Bank Plc.
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The 10th suspect, Sompre Omiebi, is said to be on the run.
The mobile phones recovered from most of the suspects have revealed how the slush funds were wired.
A report of the investigation stumbled upon by TheNation states that: “Based on the investigation so far carried out, the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD card accounts used by Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan has a cumulative balance of $14,029,881.79 which has been swept Post No Debit Card category.
“Again, her personal account, different from the four fraudulent VISA Platinum USD Card accounts, bears the balance of $5,841,426.17.
“Considering the above stated findings, we can safely conclude that aprima faciecase of conspiracy to retain proceeds of unlawful activities, retention of the proceeds of unlawful activities, money laundering, contrary to Section 15(3) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and forgery contrary to Section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004 have been established against the aforementioned suspects.”
The EFCC claimed that all the funds traced to Mrs Jonathan’s accounts were proceeds of gratification.
The report said: “The intelligence revealed that Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel fraudulently received various sums of money, being proceeds of gratification and retained same on behalf of the then First Family and for himself .
“In committing the alleged offence, Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, in grand conspiracy with one Sompre Omiebi and Mrs. Patience Jonathan, procured the services of Mr. Dipo Oshodi, Miss Theodora Vavrinik and Mr. Damola Bolodeoku of Skye Bank Plc to launder and retain the proceeds of their unlawful activities.
“On receipt of the intelligence report, letters of investigation activities were sent to the Corporate Affairs Commission, relevant banks , communication companies, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Chief of Staff to the President, Federal Road Safety Corps and the mobile phones recovered from suspects were analysed.
“Also, the employees of various banks whose names featured, together with Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, were interviewed and a search carried out . Some of the purported directors and signatories to the said companies were arrested and interviewed.”
The report explained that the accumulation of the gratification funds started in 2013 with the registration of four fake firms.
The report added: “In 2013, the principal suspect, Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, in grand conspiracy with Sompre Omiebi and Barr. Amajuoye Azubuike fraudulently registered the following companies: (a) Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; (b) Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited; (c) Globus Integrated Service Limited; ( d) Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited.
“However, the following persons , Taiwo Ebenezer, Chima John, Friday Davis, Olalekan Bello, Asuquo Charles, Kola Frederick, Rasak Gbodiyam, Ebi Attah, Agbo Baro and Olugbenga Isaiah, named as the purported directors of the companies, have denied knowledge of the registration and any interest in the companies.
“That after the fraudulent registration, the principal suspect, Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, conspired with Sompre Omiebi and three officials of the Skye Bank Plc, namely Dipo Oshodi, Theodora Varinik and Damola Bolodeoku, to fraudulently open current and VISA Platinum Credit Card ( USD) accounts for the companies.
READ:- Patience Jonathan Says $31.4m Was For Her Medical Bills
“That in opening account Nos: 1771420773 and 2110002238 for Pluto Property and Investment and Company Limited in Skye Bank Plc, Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, Sompre Omiebi and Skye Bank officials, namely Dipo Oshodi, Theodora Varinik and Damola Bolodeoku, also fraudulently used the details of one Friday Davies and Toru Inoyengibuomo( who have been found to be staff of NIMASA) .
“That in opening account Nos: 1771420797 and 2110002245 for Trans Ocean Property and Investment and Company Limited in Skye Bank Plc, Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, Sompre Omiebi and Skye Bank officials namely Dipo Oshodi, Theodora Varinik and Damola Bolodeoku, also fraudulently used the details of one Asuquo Charles and Kola Frederick as the signatories to the accounts.
“That in opening account Nos: 1771421299 0and 2110002269 for Globus Integrated Services Limited Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, Sompre Omiebi and Skye Bank officials namely Dipo Oshodi, Theodora Varinik and Damola Bolodeoku also fraudulently used the details of one Razak Gbodiyam and Ebi Attah as the signatories to the accounts.
“That in opening account Nos: 1771420780and 2110002207 for Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, Dr. Dudafa Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel, Sompre Omiebi and Skye Bank officials namely Dipo Oshodi, Theodora Varinik and Damola Bolodeoku also fraudulently used the details of one Agbo Baro and Olugbenga Isaiah as the signatories to the accounts.
“That though these fraudulent accounts do not have Biometric Verification Numbers(BVN), the Skye Bank officials allowed their cronies to use and operate the accounts.
“That all the driver’s licences used as a means of identification of the purported signatories have been found to be forged.
“That all these fraudulent accounts were opened with the consent of Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan.
“Furthermore, investigation has revealed that all VISA Platinum USD cards in respect of the above mentioned accounts were picked up by Mr. Dipo Oshodi and Damola Bolodeoku of Skye Bank Plc from the bank and handed over to Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan.”
EFCC detectives gave the breakdown of how funds were wired into nine USD accounts believed to have been opened with fraudulent names and operated by Mrs. Jonathan.
The report said: “That looking at the various Visa Platinum USD Card accounts, the sum of $5,114,609.00 were lodged into the account of Globus Integrated Services Limited out of which the sum of $753,206.76 has been spent by Mrs. Patience Jonathan, leaving a balance of $4,361,393.24, which is currently on Post No Debit Status.
“That the sum of $3,737,500.00 was also fraudulently lodged into the account of Trans Ocean Property abc Investment Company Limited out of which the sum of $405,856.88 has been spent by Mrs. Patience Jonathan, leaving a balance of $3,331,643.12, which is currently on Post No Debit Status.
“That investigation has also revealed that the sum of $3,644,200.00 was fraudulently lodged into the account of Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited out of which the sum of $242,665.29 has been spent by Mrs. Jonathan, leaving a balance if $3,401,534.71, which is currently on Post No Debit Status.
“That investigation has revealed that the sum of $3,095,400, fraudulently lodged into the account of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited out if which the sum of $160, 089.28 has been spent, leaving a balance of $2,935,310.72, which is currently on Post No Debit Status.
“That in another investigation, it was discovered that another VISA Platinum Credit card (USD) Account number 2110001712 was opened by Mrs. Patience Jonathan where $6, 761,367.71 was credited out of which she has spent $919,941.54, leaving a balance of $5,841,426.17.”
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