Alleged money laundering: Patience Jonathan petitions Reps

The wife of the immediate past  president, Patience Jonathan, on  Wednesday,  petitioned the House of Representatives  over alleged harassment by the operatives of the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The petition against  EFCC, was laid before  the House at the plenary  on Wednesday,by Honourable  Lovette Idisi, a legislator from Delta State.

In the petition, the former First Lady alleged that she was being “incessantly harassed” by the operatives of the anti-graft agency over alleged money laundering .

The lawmaker explained that Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, clearly stated  that everyone “is presumed innocent until proven guilty”.

According to the lawmaker,”this petition is in line with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,as amended, where every citizen is presumed innocent, until proven guilty.

“Mr speaker, the constant harassment of the former First Lady is a petition that emanated from her that was sent to my office. With the leave of the house, I seek your permission to lay the petition before the house.”

After the petition was laid by Idisi before the House, the speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, referred it to the Committee on Public Petitions, for further legislative  action.

It will   be recalled  that four companies allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan ,had pleaded guilty to money laundering charges filed against them by  EFCC to the tune of $15.59 million.

The four companies, 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, had all pleaded guilty to all the counts in the amended charge of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, through their representative, Agbo Michael, Friday Davis and Kola Fredrick.

But the alleged company directors, when first arraigned before Justice AbdulAziz Anka, had denied having any link with the companies, claiming they did not know when their passport photographs and signatures were used to register the companies.

Meanwhile Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday, further adjourned till January. 18, hearing in a suit by  the former  first Lady, Patience Jonathan, seeking enforcement of her fundamental rights.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Patience Jonathan, had instituted the fundamental rights suit against EFCC, claiming the sum of S200 million as damages for inconveniences suffered.

Also, Coalition of ethnic nationalities across the  six geopolitical zones of the country, on Wednesday, stormed the National Assembly, protesting against the alleged persecution of some key members of the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s family by  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under the guise of war against corruption.

The  coalition comprised  Ijaw youths, Ohanaeze Ndigbo youths, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum as well as the  Yoruba Youths Council, among others.

The protesters, carrying placards, condemned  the anti-graft agency and called on the National Assembly and concerned Nigerians to help in arresting the trend.

They expressed their displeasure over the ongoing trial of  Patience Jonathan and a cousin to the former president, Roberts Azibaola and his wife, Stella, by EFCC.

The groups alleged that operatives of EFCC,  Department of State Security (DSS) and  the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), had twice, invaded the  residence of Patience Jonathan in Abuja,  in her absence without any formal notice.

However,  in a joint  communique issued by the  leaders of the various ethnic nationalities and addressed to the leadership of the National Assembly, they appealed to the National Assembly to call EFCC to  order.

The communique signed by the leaders, called on the federal lawmakers to make  the anti-graft agency adhere strictly to the Principle of Rule of Law in  its operations, being an agency set up by an Act of Parliament.

The communique reads in part,” we call on the National Assembly to caution  EFCC to desist from carry out media trial of cases already in court. This is because it robs the government of much needed goodwill and credibility it needs to succeed in the war against corruption.