$15.5 million: Patience Jonathan petitions House of Reps

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, received a petition from the former First Lady, 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, Ms. Idisi said the wife of former President Goodluck 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 1999 Constitution, where every citizen of the country is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“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 Ms. Idisi laid the petition,the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, referred it to the Committee on Public Petitions.

The former first lady has been enmeshed in a legal tussle with the EFCC after the anti-graft blocked a bank account containing $15 million of alleged illicit funds.

Mrs. Jonathan claimed the money, and instituted a fundamental rights suit against the EFCC, claiming $200 million as damages for inconveniences suffered.

In her suit, Mrs. Jonathan urged the court to issue an order discharging the freezing order, and restraining the EFCC and its agent from further placing a freezing order on the said accounts.

(NAN)