Jonathan’s wife appeals forfeiture of N12.2b to FG

Wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, has filed a notice of appeal to challenge a judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos which ordered the permanent forfeiture of the sum of $8.4 million and another N9.2 billion to the Federal Government.

In the notice which has six grounds of appeal, Mrs Jonathan has asked the Court of Appeal in Lagos to set aside the judgment of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

Through her counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Mrs Jonathan and the other appellants said the judge erred in law and occasioned a miscarriage of justice when she assumed jurisdiction to hear the application for the final forfeiture of the sums.

Mrs Jonathan also argued that the issue of the court’s jurisdiction was already being challenged as the monies in question were a subject matter of a pending litigation before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The former First Lady also says that the appellants clearly provided uncontroverted evidence of how the monies were made and they, therefore, discharged the burden placed on them by Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act of 2007.

The appellants in the suit are Globus Integrated Services Ltd, Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd, Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd, Magel Resort Ltd and Esther Oba, persons & companies through whom the funds were allegedly laundered on behalf of Mrs Jonathan.