Atuche: Court rules on veracity of bank documents

[MrVan]

...approves Atuche's overseas medical trip

BY ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH, ONOZURE DANIA & MICHAEL OLADEPO

IKEJA – Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, yesterday, adjourned ruling till today on a bank document tendered by the defence counsel to contradict a prosecution witness, Nam Nkapa, over the trial of the former managing director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), Mr. Francis Atuche.

Atuche and one of his aides, Funmi Ademosun, are standing trial on a one count charge of stealing N4.2 billion belonging to Caverton Helicopters by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

This was coming as the court granted Atuche  leave to travel abroad for medical attention. This was sequel to an oral application made by Atuche's counsel.

At the resumed hearing of the case, the defence counsel, Mr. Anthony Idigbe, SAN, had tendered the bank document which was part of the alleged documents used in buying shares by the bank chief which, according to him, contradicted the earlier evidence given by the prosecution witness.

However, the defence counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, opposed the tendering of the document that it cannot be accepted as an exhibit since the witness was not the maker of the document.

Kappa, an investigator with the anti-graft commission, had told the court she could not recall all the documents they reviewed during investigations, adding that she never came across the term 'Project TREASURE' during their investigations when asked of what she knew about it.

Justice Onigbanjo held that the issues raised were very cogent and, therefore, he had to critically examine them, ruling out a bench ruling. He consequently adjourned the matter till today to give a ruling on the matter and for further cross-examination of the witness.

Vanguard Nigeria