IN a twist of events, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn its application in which it sought to stop a court order which unfroze the Skye Bank account of the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, with a balance of $5.9 million.
Mrs Jonathan now has unhindered access to the money in Skye Bank.
The EFCC, through its prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that it had changed its mind about appealing the unfreezing order.
Oyedepo also notified the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, that the commission was withdrawing its application seeking to stay the execution of the order.
Responding, Patience’s lawyer, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe, confirmed being served with the EFCC’s application to withdraw its application for stay of proceedings.
Adedipe said in view of the EFCC’s action, he would also withdraw the Form 48 and Form 49 he filed to cite Skye Bank for contempt of court for not allowing Patience access to her account in spite of the court order.
After liatening to both counsels, Justice Olatoregun granted their prayers to withdraw their respective applications.
It will be recalled that Justice Olatoregun had made an interim order freezing multiple accounts linked with Mrs Jonathan.
The order was pursuant to an ex parte application by the anti-graft agency, sworn to by one of its operatives, Abdulahi Tukur, which told the judge that the funds retained in the said accounts were suspected proceeds of crime.
Tukur had told the judge that intelligence report by the anti-graft agency necessitated that the accounts be investigated, adding that it would be in the interest of justice that the accounts be frozen.
The accounts, opened in the names of companies and an individual, had a cumulative balance of N7.4 billion and $429,381.87.
Apart from her personal account, also affected were five companies, namely: Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel Resort Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.
Finchley Top Homes Limited’s account numbered 1102001996 in Ecobank, with a balance of N226,376,700.23 and a fixed deposit of N1,099,511,484.88 was also frozen.
Also affected were the company’s Skye Bank account 1771731336, with a balance of N14,173,848.85; Fidelity Bank account numbered, 4011019539 with a balance of N1,800,494,000; Stanbic Bank account numbered, 0016901361, with a balance of N40,594,12.88; and Diamond Bank account 0019213687 with a balance of N39,418,712.12.
and then