The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has with­drawn the application for stay of execution and notice of appeal it filed against the Federal High Court, Lagos reopening the frozen bank account of former First Lady, Mrs Patience Ibifaka Jonathan.
The court had blocked Mrs Jonathan’s access to the account with Skye Bank Plc, where she kept $5. 842 million.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun had on April 6, 2017, ordered that the account be reopened following the court’s agreement with her counsel, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), that the EFCC erred in joining his client in a suit that she was not a party.
But, not satisfied with the order, the EFCC filed an application for stay of ex­ecution of the ruling and a notice of ap­peal challenging the judgement.
The two applications, according to EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, were dated April 6 and filed on April 7, 2016.
However, at the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, Oyedepo told Justice Olatoregun of his agency’s intention to discontinue the two applications.
He, however, did not give any reason for the action.
Upon the withdrawal of the two appli­cations, Adedipe confirmed the service of the application for withdrawal on the defendants.
Adedipe also informed the court of his intention to withdraw Form 48 (notice of committal to prison) and Form 49 (com­mittal to prison), which he filed against the Skye Bank Plc in anticipation that it failed to obey the order unfreezing Mrs Jonathan’s account.
Upon the submissions of both coun­sels, Justice Olatoregun granted the with­drawal of both the EFCC’s applications and Patience Jonathan’s Form 48 and Form 49.
Based on an application filed last year before the court by the EFCC, Justice Olatoregun ordered that the account of the former First lady with the sum of $5.842 million and domiciled with Skye Bank Plc, be frozen on the ground that the money was suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Also affected by the order were five companies that were having a total of N7.418 billion. The companies were Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel Resort Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.
There was also an account belonging to one Esther Oba with the sum of $429,381. 87.
The order of the court freezing the ac­count was sequel to an affidavit in support of ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Abdullahi Tukur, an investigating officer of the EFCC and filed before the court by Oyedepo.-The Authority