The Supreme Court has ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) can go ahead with the trial of the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHP, Mr. Francis Atuche, and his wife, Elizabeth.
The Atuches are facing charges of fraud for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion belonging to the bank.
Delivering judgment in Abuja on Wednesday, the five-man panel of justices also upturned an earlier directive by the Court of Appeal, for the Chief Judge of Lagos State to reassign the case to another judge.
The anti-graft agency had in 2011 arraigned Francis and Elizabeth Atuche, along with a former Bank PHB official Mr. Ugo Anyanwu before the Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court.
But the defendants in 2014 had successfully challenged their trial before Justice Okunnu at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.
However, judges of the Apex Court criticised the appellate court’s order, and in the ruling read by Justice Ejembi Eko, they noted that the lower court did not adduce any reason why it disqualified Justice Okunnu.
The Supreme Court consequently directed that the case should be returned to high court judge for continuation of trial of the defendants.
Source: channelstv
