More troubling is that fact that the money has been withdrawn without traces.
The deposits are different from the $15.5million earlier traced to the ex-First Lady which made the agency place No Debit Order on four accounts. According to a report by The Nation newspaper, the deposits were found in the account of Pluto Property and Investment Limited, one of the firms linked to Mrs. Jonathan.
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Here are the Details:
EFCC detectives discovered that the account was opened on November 30, 2013 by Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited with number 2110002238.
The company was registered on January 29, 2013 with RC 1092722. The “strange” deposits came within 14 months. The deposits are: 21/2/2014—$46,500,000; 24/2/2014—$31,000,000; 31/3/2015—$49,250,000; 1/4/ 2015—$49,000,000
“The EFCC is probing how the deposits hit the company’s account barely two years after it was registered and without executing any major contract. We are suspecting that this is another slush account where government funds were diverted to,” a source was quoted.
The source said: “All the deposits were in cash, a development which showed that it was a pure case of money laundering.
“On the 21st of February, the account was reported to have recorded a cash deposit of $46,500,000 by the General Manager of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited , Toru Wonyeng Ibuomo.
“Three days after(24th of February, 2014), another cash deposit of $31,000,000 was made by the same General Manager. “Friday Davies made a cash deposit of $49,250,000 into the same account.
The last tranche of $49,000,000 was deposited by Davies on Apri 1, 2015.” The report claimed that the EFCC was on the trail of Ibuomo and Davies.
“We need the two depositors to assist in the ongoing investigation of the payments into the affected account. “It is more curious when the bank details did not show evidence of withdrawals. Yet the whereabouts of the cash was unknown.
We hope it is not a private banking arrangement to hide slush funds.” READ ALSO: Corruption: EFCC, ICPC investigates 25 Jonathan’s ex-ministers, aides (SEE LIST) It was gathered that the EFCC would probe the likely roles of the former First Lady in operating the account of Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited.
“In a matter before the Federal High Court, the ex-First Lady admitted that one of her domiciliary accounts was bearing Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited.
“We are investigating this $175.750million deposits and the extent of the involvement or relationship of the ex-First Lady with the funds. This is a fresh case; it has nothing to do with the $15.5million frozen by the EFCC.”
Meanwhile, an aide to former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has alleged that the EFCC is mounting pressure on him to incriminate the former first lady, Patience Jonathan, over alleged money laundering.
Sources: NAN, Naij
