Assets worth N19.1 billion belonging to the convicted managing director of the defunct Bank PHB, Mr. Francis Atuche have been frozen by the Ikeja Division of the Lagos State High Court.
The presiding Judge, Justice Lateefat Okunnu gave the order yesterday in an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The N19.1 billion fund was deposited in 24 different banks in Nigeria, including Access Bank Plc, Citi Bank Ltd, Ecobank Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Nigeria Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, First City Monument Bank and Globus Bank Ltd, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Ltd, Keystone Bank Ltd, Lotus Bank Ltd, Mainstreet Bank Plc.
They were also deposited in Polaris Bank Plc, Platinum Mortgage Bank Ltd, Providus Bank Ltd and Stanbic IBTC Nigeria Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, Sterling Bank Plc, Titan Trust Bank Ltd, Union Bank Of Nigeria Plc, United Bank For Africa Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.
The EFCC, in its application, alleged that the convicted banker used 22 firms and 15 persons, including a former chief financial officer of the bank, Mr. Ugo Anyanwu, to launder the funds.
In her ruling, Okunnu ordered the freezing of all bank accounts personally or jointly operated by the convict.
She barred Atuche, his lawyer and other privies from withdrawing funds from the affected accounts and other accounts linked to the jailed bank boss.
The court also gave the concerned banks 48 hours to bring Atuche’s statements of accounts and the firms he used to siphon the looted funds.
It would be recalled that Atuche in June sentenced to six years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of stealing N25.7 billion.
While pronouncing the sentence, the judge ordered him and his accomplice to return the money they stole.
