Admin l Thursday, March 07, 2017
IKOYI, Lagos, Nigeria – Renowned Nigerian lawyer, Chief Mike Ozhekome has taken over as lead counsel to former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who has been involved in the disputed $31.4 million deposited in accounts of some companies in Lagos.
Mike Ozhekome (SAN), who appeared for the first time in the case said the money in the companies’ accounts belongs to the former first lady, stressing that the companies have not transacted any business to earn it such an amount.
While addressing journalists in the premises of the Federal High Court, in Ikoyi, Lagos, said the accounts of Mrs. Jonathan were only added in the name of the companies.
“The accounts of Patience Jonathan were opened in the names of the companies but we never did any profitable business to earn that kind of money. This money belong to Patience Jonathan. We call it a resulting trust.”
The senior advocate, who represented Pluto Property and Investment Company LTD, and Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. LTD, reiterated that the money belongs to Mrs. Jonathan.
“She has the card. She at all material times operated the accounts. The companies never operated it” Ozhekome said.
He alleged that EFCC acted unconstitutionally to have frozen the companies’ accounts. An affidavit deposed to by Amajuoyi Azibike Briggs, a lawyer who registered the companies and doubles as the companies’ secretary, also claimed that the company only held the frozen money for Mrs. Jonathan.
Recall that in November, 2nd, 2016, the companies; Pluto Property and Investment Company LTD, Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. LTD, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company LTD, were declared guilty following the guilty plea of their purported directors.
At the resumed hearing, before Justice Mohammed Idris, Ozhekome sought to serve a fresh application of the anti-graft agency but the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, refused to accept the application.
Mr. Oyedepo said the agency has a channel at which it accepts court processes and he was not in the right position to accept the application on behave of the commission.
Justice Idris adjourned the matter to April 6, for defendant to serve the application on the prosecution and commencement of hearing on all pending applications
