I Cannot Be A Thief Because I Was Baptised In The Church- Francis Atuche

Francis Atuche is a former Managing Director of Bank PHB, who is accused of N25.7 billion belonging to Bank PHB now Keystone Bank with his wife, Elizabeth.

The two of them are standing trial for allegedly stealing and have been charged to court by the EFCC alongside, Ugo Anyanwu, a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank.

Atuche said that it was silly for EFCC to label him a thief.

He said: ‘I am a Catholic. I cannot be a thief. I was baptised in the church and before I left primary school, I have started receiving Holy Communion which I do every day.

I cannot receive Holy Communion when I am not in the state of grace. I cannot be a thief because God has been gracious to me,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, one Mr. Uguru Onyike, narrated how he was tutored to make false allegation against Atuche.

According to him: “The bank and the EFCC were working together and they told us to write a statement implicating Atuche and that the documents were not authentic.

“One Mr. Madaki Abdullahi of the EFCC promised to use us as prosecution witnesses against Atuche.

“Abdullahi said that we should make the statement to be very believable. We had a chat and agreed on how to write a statement that could implicate Atuche.

“The two statements were dictated to me by the EFCC and I signed both of them.”