Prominent Nigerians call for prosecution of Patience Jonathan over Skye Bank funds
Mon Sep 12, 2016 01:00:pm National
2.6K By Buchi Obichie
The discovery of $34.1m lodged in various Skye Bank accounts traced to
former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has elicited angry responses from
prominent Nigerians who have demanded her prosecution by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The former Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, urged the EFCC to probe not just the former First Lady, but also her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, over the bank accounts.
Speaking with New Telegraph on Sunday, he said that while Mrs. Jonathan must be held accountable for the huge funds linked to her, the investigation cannot be complete if it was not extended to her husband. "She is not the only one; even her husband should be probed.
The investigation will have no meaning if Jonathan is not probed. How did she come about that type of money? Of course, she couldn't have got that kind of money without her husband creating the opportunities," he said.
In the same vein, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACC) Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), told New Telegraph that Jonathan's wife must explain how she acquired the money.
According to him, "The issue at hand is a very simple one. In a situation where somebody claims or appears to have such enormous assets, which are ways beyond the means of living of that person, in other words, way beyond what the person can appear to earn legitimately, the EFCC or ICPC are entitled to apply for freezing such funds.
"And then the court can order that person to explain how he or she acquired that type of fortune.
"In the absence of ability to establish that you are the owners of the fortune by showing how you earned such a huge sum, then it will be forfeited."
Speaking further, Sagay stated that the wife of the former President must explain how she came about the money.
He said, "I believe there is no reason why this principle should not be applied to this situation. So, Patience Jonathan has to come before the court to establish how she acquired $34.1 million. What was she doing, how was she earning it? She has to explain it.
I don't know if former President Jonathan has anything to say about it, but anyone who interferes with it or claims anything in it will be put under the same burden to prove how they legitimately acquired it, but if you cannot establish that, then you will lose the asset."
The former Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, urged the EFCC to probe not just the former First Lady, but also her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, over the bank accounts.
Speaking with New Telegraph on Sunday, he said that while Mrs. Jonathan must be held accountable for the huge funds linked to her, the investigation cannot be complete if it was not extended to her husband. "She is not the only one; even her husband should be probed.
The investigation will have no meaning if Jonathan is not probed. How did she come about that type of money? Of course, she couldn't have got that kind of money without her husband creating the opportunities," he said.
In the same vein, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACC) Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), told New Telegraph that Jonathan's wife must explain how she acquired the money.
According to him, "The issue at hand is a very simple one. In a situation where somebody claims or appears to have such enormous assets, which are ways beyond the means of living of that person, in other words, way beyond what the person can appear to earn legitimately, the EFCC or ICPC are entitled to apply for freezing such funds.
"And then the court can order that person to explain how he or she acquired that type of fortune.
"In the absence of ability to establish that you are the owners of the fortune by showing how you earned such a huge sum, then it will be forfeited."
Speaking further, Sagay stated that the wife of the former President must explain how she came about the money.
He said, "I believe there is no reason why this principle should not be applied to this situation. So, Patience Jonathan has to come before the court to establish how she acquired $34.1 million. What was she doing, how was she earning it? She has to explain it.
I don't know if former President Jonathan has anything to say about it, but anyone who interferes with it or claims anything in it will be put under the same burden to prove how they legitimately acquired it, but if you cannot establish that, then you will lose the asset."
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