Former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has explained why she withdrew $100,000 from her unblocked Skye Bank account recently.
According to Daily Trust, Dame Jonathan made the clarification through her solicitor, Barrister Charles Ogboli. The former first lady, said she never wanted to withdraw all the money, but just to ensure compliance to the order of court.
Patience Jonathan was at a Skye Bank branch in Maitama to make withdrawals on her unblocked account recently
Ogboli said: “She wanted to withdraw $5 million on Friday but unfortunately there was no funds and they (the bank) pleaded with her that she can withdraw $100,000 in order to comply with the order of court. They have complied fully with the order of court.
“Therefore the Notice of Appeal (by the EFCC) came late. The Notice and Stay of Execution is a mere application. And we are talking of court order.
“Appeal has not been entered yet; records have not been transferred from the lower court to the Court of Appeal. In the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, by mere fact that you have an appeal against a proceeding, it does not stop the trial from going on. That was what they were acting upon.
“Unfortunately for them, the order has been executed. Even when you move the motion it is an exercise in futility. So we are going to court to respond to whatever they filed. The issue is that she went to the bank and applied and account was debited with $100,000.”
Patience Jonathan exiting the bank premises after making the withdrawal
The legal practitioner noted that there were no challenges for the former first lady to withdraw from her account, adding that she was not in any pressure to withdraw all the money.
He stated that the money was for her medical treatment. “Mrs Jonathan is a law-abiding citizens and she has not done anything which is ultra vires to the laws of the land,” he added.
NAIJ.com had reported that the former first lady on Monday, April 10 visited the Skye Bank Plc branch in Maitama, Abuja to make cash withdrawal from her unblocked account.
Mrs Jonathan’s visit to the bank reportedly follows a fresh order of a Federal High Court in Lagos lifting the order of interim forfeiture placed on her account with the bank by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
