Rita Odafe
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the conviction of Francis Atuche, the former Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc, after a legal battle lasting around 13 years.
Justice Moore Adumein delivered the court’s decision, supporting the rulings of the trial court and the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court emphasized Atuche’s failure to provide substantial reasons to dispute the lower courts’ findings on his integrity.
It reiterated that an appellate court should not intervene in a trial court’s assessment of a party or witness’s behavior if backed by documentary evidence.
In 2011, Atuche, along with his wife Elizabeth and Ugo Anyanwu, faced a 27-count charge of N25.7 billion fraud brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Following prosecution by Dr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Atuche and Anyanwu were convicted by Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Lagos High Court on June 16, 2021.
They were found guilty on 21 counts of conspiracy to commit felony and theft, leading to prison terms of 12 years for Atuche and 10 years for Anyanwu.
The Court of Appeal later reduced Atuche’s sentence to six years and Anyanwu’s to eight years while Elizabeth Atuche was acquitted due to insufficient evidence tying her to the crime.
Displeased with the Court of Appeal’s rulings, Atuche and Anyanwu took their appeal to the Supreme Court for review.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments from Senior Advocates including Wole Olanipekun, Chief Anthony Idigbe, and Prof. Fidelis Oditah representing Atuche, with Dr. Kemi Pinheiro and Sebastine Hon representing the state.
This latest decision by the Supreme Court marks the end of a long legal saga, affirming the convictions and sentences of Atuche and Anyanwu, and bringing finality to the decade-long legal proceedings.
