BEVERLY HILLS, December 07, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives has received a petition from the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In the petition presented to the House by Lovette Idisi, (PDP-Delta), the former first lady alleged that she was being “incessantly harassed” by the anti-graft agency.
Commenting on the petition, Idisi said that the wife of former President, Good luck Jonathan, was presumed to be innocent until proven guilty as enshrined in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“This petition is in line with Section 36 of the 199 Constitution, where every citizen of the country is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Idisi stated.
“Mr Speaker, the constant harassment of the former first lady is a petition emanating from her which was sent to my office.
‘’With the leave of the house, I seek your permission to lay the petition before the house,” she said.
After Idisi laid the petition, the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, referred it to the Committee on Public Petitions.
Meanwhile, Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court Lagos has adjourned till Jan. 18, 2017, hearing in a suit by Patience, seeking enforcement of her fundamental rights.
Patience had instituted the fundamental rights suit against the EFCC claiming the sum of $200m as damages for inconveniences suffered as the anti-graft agency froze four of her accounts with Skye Bank, in the name of four companies, with a balance of $15,591,700 (about N5 billion) belonging to her.
However, the EFCC, in its counter-affidavit to the suit, said the $15.5 million which Patience claims belongs to her is a proceed of crime and asked the Court to dismiss the suit.
Story by Oputah David
