The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has traced N 2 . 114 bn to the bank account of Magel Resort Limited , which was allegedly owned by Mrs . Patience Jonathan and her late mother, Mama Charity Oba .
According to the EFCC, the total amount of money traced to Mrs . Jonathan is now N 17 bn.
Patience , the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan , had, last week, filed a N 2bn fundamental human rights suit against the EFCC, accusing the anti- graft agency of subjecting her to psychological trauma , unnecessary persecution and going as far as freezing her late mother ’ s accounts.
However , an interim report of the EFCC, made available to The PUNCH , accused Mrs . Jonathan of perpetrating fraud through some of her non -governmental organisations .
The report adds that at least N 17 bn, including funds from some government agencies , were paid into the accounts of Mrs . Jonathan ’ s NGOs.
The report states, “ Another company owned by Mrs Jonathan is Magel Resort Ltd. It was incorporated by Mrs . Jonathan ’ s late mother . But Patience Jonathan became the sole signatory to the account of the company by board resolution upon the demise of her mother .
“ Though registered as a resort agency , sources at the EFCC disclosed that the agency was probing the circumstances in which the firm secured over N 200 m IT contract from the National Information Technology Development Agency .
“ The contract was allegedly bankrolled through the National Information Technology Development Fund . Several other persons under investigation for money laundering by the anti-graft agency were discovered to have made payments into the company ’ s account including a hotelier in Central Area , Abuja , who has been invited for questioning .
“ The total sum allegedly laundered through the account of Magel Resort Limited , owned by Mrs Jonathan and her late mother , is put at N 2. 114 bn. ”
The commission alleged that another NGO , owned by Patience , Ariwabai Aruera Reach Out Foundation , had various accounts but the principal account was domiciled at Diamond Bank .
The EFCC said it stumbled on evidence in which several government agencies made payments into the account .
A total inflow of N 2. 4 bn was allegedly recorded in the account between 2009 and 2015 .
The commission alleged that some of the NGOs had Patience ’ s domestic servants as directors .
The report adds , “ Investigations equally discovered that Mrs . Jonathan maintains a dollar account with Diamond Bank which received huge financial inflow from her domestic aides .
“ Some of the domestic aides that made payments into the accounts are also trustees of her so- called NGO and director in her companies . The balance in the account was $12 , 831 , 173 .
“ Another dollar account of the former First Lady was discovered in Skye Bank . Inflows into the account came through deposits by domestic aides of Mrs . Jonathan . Intelligence reports indicate that most of the purchase of luxury items by the former First Lady was through the Platinum card of the account . The total amount in the account is $7. 9 m. ”
The anti - graft agency said a total of N 1 . 8bn was deposited in the account of Flinchley Top Homes Limited , another company linked to Mrs Jonathan . The money was allegedly deposited by her domestic aides between 2009 and 2015 .
The report adds , “ Another discovery was the N 2. 1bn and N 1. 8bn deposited into the accounts of AM PM Global Network Limited and Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited respectively, between 2009 and 2015 . Both companies are linked to the former First Lady.
“ Another N 1. 140 bn was also allegedly laundered by Mrs . Jonathan through the account of Lawari Furniture and Baths Limited , whose address is given as 100 Akamfa Road , Yenagoa, Bayelsa State .
“ The bulk of the money was deposited by Bureau de Change operators . ”
It was learnt that the BDC operators had been invited by the EFCC for questioning .
It was further alleged that the addresses of most of the companies were discovered to be fictitious as mails sent to them were returned undelivered .
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In his reaction , the Chief Press Secretary to the former President ’ s wife, Belema Meshack - Hart , urged the EFCC chairman , Ibrahim Magu , to honour the National Assembly ’ s invitation rather than engage in media trial .
Meshack - Hart also rubbished allegations that his principal was using her NGOs to perpetrate fraud .
He stated , “ I won’ t exchange words with them since the matter is in court . The House has invited the EFCC chairman many times but he has refused to honour the invitations . Let him go and tell the National Assembly what he knows .
“ However , it is not true that Dame Jonathan used her foundations to launder funds . The foundations helped over 700 people with heart diseases . “
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