Ex First Lady denies ownership of $175m allegedly found in her account

chika ebuzor

November 24, 2016 8:06 AM

Mrs. Jonathan also claimed that she had only $10m in her account before it was blocked by the EFCC.

Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan

Former first lady, Patience Jonathan has denied ownership of $175m allegedly found in her Skye bank account.

According to reports, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been trying to find the whereabout of the $175,750,000 that was deposited in Dame Patience’s account.

According to The Nation, a source with the anti-graft agency said the cash was withdrawn from her account and disappeared without a trace.

In her reaction, the former first lady said the anti-graft agency has not linked her to the investigation.

Mrs. Jonathan also claimed that she only had $10m in her bank account before it was blocked by the EFCC.

The former first lady, in a statement signed by her spokesman, Sam Dokubo, said “The purported story in a newspaper on November 19, 2016, about a missing $175m allegedly belonging to the former first lady is not just fictitious but plain falsehood.

“The EFCC has not made any statement to the existence of an investigation of any missing $175m linked to the former first lady.

“If any such funds as claimed, which was deposited by certain verifiable persons has gone missing without a trace from a known bank, Skye Bank, as was reported, then, the bank, its officials and those mentioned must be held to account for the funds and not the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who was in no way a part of the transaction.

“The claim that the money was credited to a company linked to Dame Patience Jonathan is also false; otherwise it should be officially substantiated with credible evidence by Skye Bank and the EFCC that are jointly mentioned in the report.”

Recently, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos declined to restrain Justice Babs Kuewumi from taking steps in relation to the frozen $15.5m allegedly belonging to Patience Jonathan.

chika ebuzor