EFCC Vows to Prosecute Patience Jonathan; if Evidence Demands it

EFCC Vows to Prosecute Patience Jonathan; if Evidence Demands it

Besieged by protesters over what is seen as a selective anti-corruption fight, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday stated that Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, will be made to face the law if its investigation produces evidence of corrupt practices against her.

This followed a petition titled, “Demand for arrest, prosecution of Patience Jonathan, probe of the APC campaign funds and no more sacred cows in the anti-corruption crusade” submitted at the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos by the Human Rights Defenders and Advocacy Centre.

In the said petition signed by its President, Queen Ameh, and the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Innocent Agbo, the HRDAC demanded that EFCC change their slogan “Nobody is above the law,” since Patience Jonathan was still walking free despite the evidence against her, Punch writes.

“You have found evidence incriminating Patience Jonathan but we are surprised that Patience Jonathan is still allowed to be walking freely, and even had the audacity to take the EFCC to court to demand the release of her money to her,” Agbo said.

“I have been to this same EFCC to bail several people over the issue of N500,000 passing through their accounts innocently. They were invited, they came voluntarily and you people held them. But we have somebody with our money, $15m which is N6bn, walking freely. We have the issue of Badamasi Babangida; it is open knowledge that N12bn gulf money was missing under his regime, nothing is done; we are aware of Obasanjo and the $16bn power funds, you people are not investigating it; we are aware of the petition against Amaechi to the EFCC; we are aware that the APC did not get the funds for its election campaign from only Buhari’s account. We are aware that you are probing the Peoples Democratic Party, why are you not probing the APC?”

In response, the EFCC Deputy Director of Operations, Mr. Iliyasu Kwarbai, said the EFCC was not selective in its anti-graft fight, explaining that it does not arrest people arbitrarily but worked based on petitions submitted to it.

“Let me tell you, there is no sacred cow; anybody who is found wanting, who involves himself or herself in corrupt practices will not be spared. I have received your petition, it is here and what  do we do? We go into investigation immediately. Now we have seen the name of Patience Jonathan; it is here. If she is found wanting, she will never go scot-free. So also any other person no matter how highly placed he is.

It will be interesting to see the EFCC’s next move as Mrs. Jonathan had also questioned their reluctance to invite her, going by the evidence they claimed to have.