TVC N. Hearing in a suit filed by wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over her seized $15.591million was stalled on Monday due to an application filed by one of the respondents.
Mrs. Jonathan is praying the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the EFCC to unfreeze her accounts to enable her access the money.
The case was stalled as the EFCC refused to accept the service of a new application filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who was just briefed by the fourth and fifth respondents.
EFCC, Skye Bank Plc, Jonathan’s former aide, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, 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 Limited are the respondents.
Ozekhome filed the fresh application in response to Skye Bank’s counter-affidavit.
A banker, Mr. Amajuoyi Briggs, who deposed to the affidavit in support of the fresh application, said he had engaged Ozekhome to represent two of the companies.
“The said Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has accepted the engagement and will henceforth represent and defend the said 4th and 5th defendants herein,” Briggs said.
The banker claimed that he was the company secretary to the two companies, adding that he was the one who incorporated them.
“To the best of my knowledge, all through the period that I served as the companies’ secretary, up till the time that I was charged with the companies in charge number FHC/L/337/C/16, the companies did not engage in any profitable business during the period in question,” Briggs said.
The EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, however, refused to accept the service of the new application from Ozekhome in court.
He said the commission should be properly served.
Hundreds of women again stormed the court in solidarity with Mrs. Jonathan.
The companies, through their representatives, had pleaded guilty to laundering the money last September 15 when they were arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.
They were charged along with Dudafa, Briggs and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku, for laundering the money.
Unlike the companies, Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty to the 17-count charge.
In a supporting affidavit to the suit, Mrs. Jonathan’s aide, Sammie Somiari, said Dudafa helped the former first lady to open the accounts.
