Former Bank PHB MD Francis Atuche jailed.
There was a tense atmosphere in an Ikeja High Court on Wednesday night as Francis Atuche, a former Managing Director (MD) of Bank PHB, begged Justice Lateefa Okunnu not to send him to prison following his conviction for defrauding the bank of N25.7 billion.
Atuche and Ugo Anyanwu, a former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank, were both found guilty of 22 of the 27 counts of conspiracy and stealing charge proffered against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2011.
Okunnu found Atuche’s wife, Elizabeth, who faced trial alongside the duo, not guilty of two counts of conspiracy and stealing brought against her.
Atuche and Anyanwu were sentenced at night time following a very lengthy judgment that began at 9:12 a.m. and ended at 9:21 p.m.
After convicting Atuche and Anyanwu at 8:18p.m., the judge asked if they had any plea to make.
They answered in the affirmative.
Addressing the court, Atuche begged not to be sent to jail.
He prayed Okunnu to temper justice with mercy.
Read interesting details of what Atuche told the judge after he was jailed
