ENUGI, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- After a protracted legal battle spanning over 13 years, the Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, Francis Atuche for his role in a N25.7 billion fraud.
In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Moore Adumein, the apex court upheld the decisions of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, which had found Atuche and his co-defendant, Ugo Anyanwu, guilty of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing.
The court held that Atuche failed to dislodge the findings of the lower courts, which had established his culpability in the fraud.
The Supreme Court’s decision brings finality to the criminal charge, which was initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2011.
READ ALSO: Alleged Multimillion-Dollar Fraud: Emefiele’s Trial Continues In October
Atuche, his wife Elizabeth, and Anyanwu were arraigned on a 27-count amended information, with the EFCC alleging that they conspired to defraud the bank of billions of naira.
While Elizabeth was acquitted due to lack of evidence linking her to the crime, Atuche and Anyanwu were convicted and sentenced to prison terms.
The Court of Appeal had earlier affirmed the conviction, with Atuche’s jail term reduced from 12 years to six years, while Anyanwu’s sentence was reduced from 10 years to eight years.
The Supreme Court’s decision upholds the concurrent finding of the two lower courts, bringing an end to the long-standing legal battle.
On further appeal to the Supreme Court, the apex court earlier this year heard Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun leading Chief Anthony Idigbe and Prof.
Fidelis Oditah in the appeal which was initiated by Atuche against his conviction, while Kemi Pinheiro who held the fiat of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation led the team of lawyers representing the State including Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastine Hon.
The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court this morning brings to finality this criminal charge after over thirteen years.