Seized $15.5m: Absence Of Judge Stalls Patience Jonathan’s Rights Enforcement Suit
The fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by former first lady, Patience Jonathan, to challenge a no debit order placed on her bank account was on Tuesday stalled due to the absence of Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos.
According to the registrar of the court the judge was out of the state attending a workshop.
Hearing in the case has now been fixed for June 19.
The former first lady had filed the suit in 2016, seeking to vacate a no debit order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from the Court on one of her account containing $15.5 million domiciled in Skye bank Plc.
Mrs. Jonathan had named the EFCC, Skye Bank, a former aide to her husband, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa and four companies as respondents in the suit.
The companies are: Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd, Transocean Property and Investment Company Ltd and Globus Integrated Service Ltd.
It will be recalled that the four companies, which the EFCC claimed was used by Dudafa to launder the $15.591 million dollars, had already pleaded guilty to the offence of money laundering before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the same court.
The sum involved in the criminal case is the same money which Mrs Jonathan is claiming belongs to her as the sole signatory to the accounts of the convicted companies.
She, however, denied ownership of the companies.
During the last sitting of the court on May 2, Defence counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) and Lanre Ogunlesi (SAN) had informed the court that counsel for the EFCC, Nnemeka Omewa had sought for leave to file additional processes, adding that same had not been served on them.
Justice Idris had then adjourned the case to enable lawyers in the matter exchange processes.
