Former Managing Director of Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank, Francis Atuche, his wife, Elizabeth and the bank's Chief Financial Officer, Ugo Anyanwu, yesterday told an Ikeja High Court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has no case against them.
The defendants in different arguments through their lawyers, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, and Mr. Sylva Ogwuemor, urged Justice Lateefat Okunnu, to strike out the alleged N25.7 billion theft charge preferred against them by the EFCC.
The couple and Anyanwu were arraigned on a 27-count charge of conspiracy and stealing of the bank's funds.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Idigbe moved a no-case submission which was brought pursuant to sections 35 (3), 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 239 of the Administration of Criminal Justice of Lagos State (ACJL).
Idigbe in his submission urged the court to strike out and dismiss the charges preferred against his clients for lack of case to answer.
In the motion supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and a written address, the defence attorney urged the court to dismiss the charges against the first and second defendants for being duplicitous.
He argued that all the pieces of evidence provided by the prosecution were circumstantial and contradictory, which therefore could not warrant putting the defendants in the witness box.
National Mirror