A Federal High Court has ruled on Dame Jonathan's request for a restraining order on her frozen $15.5m.
Dame Patience Jonathan
Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court Lagos, on Tuesday,
refused to restrain a brother judge from taking steps in relation to the
frozen $15.5m allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan.
Idris declined an application by counsel for the former first lady,
Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who sought an order to restrain Justice Babs
Kuewumi from taking further steps on the frozen sum.
Adedipe had urged the court to stop 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 Jonathan had instituted a fundamental
rights suit against the EFCC, claiming the sum of $200m 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 namely: Pluto Property
Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Transocean
company Ltd and Globus Integrated Service Ltd.
It will be recalled also that Dudafa was charged alongside the four
companies before Justice Kuewumi, on 15 counts of money laundering.
Representatives of the four companies, which the EFCC claimed were
used by Dudafa to launder the money, had all pleaded guilty to the
offences.
The $15.5m is the same sum which the former first lady claimed
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, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi, stating
that he was indisposed and could not attend the court.
The judge added that since Ogunlesi has requested for a new date to
enable him appear in court, the hearing of the application on notice
can not proceed.
Meanwhile, before the court could adjourned the case, Adedipe 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 for the EFCC, Mr. 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, Jonathan is urging the court to issue an order
discharging the freezing order, and restraining the EFCC and it’s agent
from further placing a freezing order on the said accounts.
NAN
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