The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned a former managing director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Limited), Mr Francis Atuche, and two others before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony and forgery.
Mr Atuche is currently serving a six-year jail sentence over a N25 billion fraud alongside one Mr Ugo Anyanwu (four years) after their conviction in June 2021.
Now, Mr Atuche and the two others, Mr Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Mr Uguru Onyike were arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.
When the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, Mr Fanen Anum, told the court that the matter is starting de novo and therefore asked for a trial date.
Meanwhile, the counsel to the first defendant, Mr Anthony Ejere, prayed that the court allow his client to enjoy the earlier bail granted him by the court, despite that he was still a convict in another matter.
Also, counsel to the second and third defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), asked the court to allow his clients to enjoy the earlier bail granted them by the court.
In her short ruling, Justice Fadipe upheld the request of their counsels that they be allowed to continue on the bail granted them by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (rtd) and adjourned the case till May 6, 2025, for trial.
For context, Mr Atuche and the two other suspects were originally arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru before his elevation as a Justice of the Court of Appeal and subsequently as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
The case consequently started afresh before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (who has now retired) hence the transfer of the case file to Justice Abike-Fadipe.
It was alleged that Mr Atuche contacted Joachim Nnosiri, an office assistant with Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre in Lagos, to deliver some allegedly forged documents to the bank’s corporate headquarters also in Lagos for onward presentation in court as exhibits in an ongoing case between Mr Atuche and the EFCC.
The alleged forged documents are said to be board resolutions of Future View Securities Limited; Extra Oil Limited and Trajek Nigeria Limited.
The documents had been missing from the bank since October 2009.