Forgery: EFCC Re-Indicts Former Bank PHB MD, Francis Atuche
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-indicted the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, Francis Atuche, on allegations of forgery and conspiracy.
This was disclosed in a statement by the anti-graft agency on Monday through its official X handle.
The EFCC noted that the case was brought before Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday.
Atuche was arraigned alongside two others, identified as Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike.
The trio faces nine charges bordering on forging board resolutions of companies to defraud financial institutions.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Mr. Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi), and Uguru Onyike, on or about the 4th day of March 2013, in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to commit felony to wit: forgery of a document titled: ‘BOARD RESOLUTION’ of Future View Securities Limited dated 17th December 2007.”
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Additionally, Joachim is accused of fraudulently using a forged “Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited” dated December 15, 2007, and presenting it as a genuine document to Keystone Bank Limited.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against them.
The Prosecution Counsel, Fanen Anum, informed the court that the case was starting afresh (de novo) and therefore requested trial dates.
On the other hand, the Defense Counsel, Anthony Ejere and Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, urged the court to uphold the bail previously granted to their clients by Justice Onigbanjo.
Justice Abike-Fadipe ruled in favor of the defense, allowing the defendants to continue on their existing bail, and adjourned the trial to May 6, 7, 8, 13, 20, and 27, 2025.
The EFCC statement added: “Atuche’s fresh issues with the EFCC started when he recently contacted Nnosiri, an Office Assistant with Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre in Lagos, to deliver some alleged forged documents to the Bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos for onward presentation in court as exhibits in an ongoing case between him and the Commission before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.”
The forged documents, which had been missing since October 2009, include the Board Resolutions of Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited, and Trajek Nigeria Limited, the statement further revealed.
