Bolaji Ogunsola, an Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission ( EFCC) witness in the ongoing trial of Francis
Atuche, the former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), on
Monday denied testifying that the ex-bank MD gave out bank money as
tithe to two Catholic churches.
Mr Ogunsola, who is the erstwhile Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHB Mortgages (a subsidiary of Bank PHB), had refused to appear before the Ikeja High Court alleging threat to life leading to series of adjournments.
At a resuming hearing, he said: “I didn’t say the first defendant gave money to the church. What I said is that an instrument was given by Clearmont. There’s no email that was issued by the first defendant and I didn’t confirm from him whether it was his instruction.”
Mr Ogunsola new position contradicts his comments in court last September. He had told the court then that fund from the bank was paid as tithe to two Catholic churches on the instructions of Mr Atuche.
He had explained to Justice Okunnu that while he held sway in PHB Mortgage, there was a call account being operated without a glaring ownership but which every bank staff believed was owned by Mr Atuche.
Given evidence on the transfer of money to the churches, the witness had said about N45 million was paid as tithe into St. Augustine Catholic Church and St. Monica Catholic Church from the bank’s account which amount to illegal transactions.
The prosecution witness further had told the court that funds were withdrawn from the account through e-mail from one Charity Okoma who was at the time Mr Atuche’s secretary.
Mr Atuche, his wife Elizabeth and the former Chief Financial Officer in the bank, Ugo Anyanwu are standing trial over allegations of stealing N27.5 billion belonging to the bank.
Mr Ogunsola, who was being cross examined by Mr Atuche’s lawyer, Anthony Idigbe before Justice Lateefa Okunnu added that the Atuches never issued a cheque for money to be paid to his church or his lawyer’s firm.
He said though Mr Atuche was the sole signatory of the account in contention, his review of all accounts in PHB Mortgages revealed that there is no sufficient information to confirm that the account belongs to the former MD.
Mr Ogunsola said there was no mandate card or form C07 for the account, adding that Mr Atuche never gave any direct order for money transactions but they only acted on the presumption that the originator of the mandate took instructions from him.
The witness also confirmed that various employee of the bank at various times had raised instructions on the account and Mr Atuche was only copied, adding that there had never been any response from the former MD and his signature is not on the reference form.
Mr Ogunsola while being cross examined by Sylva Oguemoh, counsel to Ugo Anyanwu, the third defendant said he never received any instruction from the defendant.
He also confirmed that he only relied on the authority on which the account was being operated before he joined the organisation.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till December 4, 2012 to take the application by the defence to recall a Prosecution Witness, Elizabeth Ebi and for further hearing.
Mr Ogunsola, who is the erstwhile Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PHB Mortgages (a subsidiary of Bank PHB), had refused to appear before the Ikeja High Court alleging threat to life leading to series of adjournments.
At a resuming hearing, he said: “I didn’t say the first defendant gave money to the church. What I said is that an instrument was given by Clearmont. There’s no email that was issued by the first defendant and I didn’t confirm from him whether it was his instruction.”
Mr Ogunsola new position contradicts his comments in court last September. He had told the court then that fund from the bank was paid as tithe to two Catholic churches on the instructions of Mr Atuche.
He had explained to Justice Okunnu that while he held sway in PHB Mortgage, there was a call account being operated without a glaring ownership but which every bank staff believed was owned by Mr Atuche.
Given evidence on the transfer of money to the churches, the witness had said about N45 million was paid as tithe into St. Augustine Catholic Church and St. Monica Catholic Church from the bank’s account which amount to illegal transactions.
The prosecution witness further had told the court that funds were withdrawn from the account through e-mail from one Charity Okoma who was at the time Mr Atuche’s secretary.
Mr Atuche, his wife Elizabeth and the former Chief Financial Officer in the bank, Ugo Anyanwu are standing trial over allegations of stealing N27.5 billion belonging to the bank.
Mr Ogunsola, who was being cross examined by Mr Atuche’s lawyer, Anthony Idigbe before Justice Lateefa Okunnu added that the Atuches never issued a cheque for money to be paid to his church or his lawyer’s firm.
He said though Mr Atuche was the sole signatory of the account in contention, his review of all accounts in PHB Mortgages revealed that there is no sufficient information to confirm that the account belongs to the former MD.
Mr Ogunsola said there was no mandate card or form C07 for the account, adding that Mr Atuche never gave any direct order for money transactions but they only acted on the presumption that the originator of the mandate took instructions from him.
The witness also confirmed that various employee of the bank at various times had raised instructions on the account and Mr Atuche was only copied, adding that there had never been any response from the former MD and his signature is not on the reference form.
Mr Ogunsola while being cross examined by Sylva Oguemoh, counsel to Ugo Anyanwu, the third defendant said he never received any instruction from the defendant.
He also confirmed that he only relied on the authority on which the account was being operated before he joined the organisation.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till December 4, 2012 to take the application by the defence to recall a Prosecution Witness, Elizabeth Ebi and for further hearing.
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