August 15, (THEWILL) – When in 2021, Justice Lateefat Okunnu, sentenced Francis Atuche to six years in prison after he was convicted for committing fraud to the tune of N25.7 billion in a trial that lasted 12 years, the former bank chief knew he needed to do something and fast. He couldn’t imagine himself spending six years behind bars, not after spending many years living large on depositor’s funds. And so in April 2022 when it was time for the council of state (an organ of the federal government, saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive on policy-making matters, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari (with former presidents as members), to pardon a few prisoners sentenced to jail for fraud, Atuche’s name somehow found its way into the list made up of 162 names. He hadn’t even spent a year in jail, compared to the other names listed for pardon, who had spent varying numbers of years in jail. Unfortunately, his desire to be pardoned boomeranged. His name did not even make the final list of 159 offenders granted pardon by the council. Instead among those pardoned were former governors of Taraba and Plateau states; Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye. Fresh facts have now emerged as to how Atuche’s name was listed when he was never considered for a pardon by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM). The PACPM is headed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and has as its duty, embarking on a nationwide visit of prisons to investigate cases of prisoners and ex-convicts who are deserving of presidential pardon, with the ultimate aim of decongesting prisons in the country.
Curious as to how Atuche’s name found its way into the list, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, requesting the probe of members of the PACPM over allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office, bribery and corruption. With a high level investigation launched, the EFCC uncovered a plot hatched by two high ranking government officials who altered the presidential pardon list and smuggled in a few names, one of which was Atuche.
The two individuals indicted in the anti-graft agency’s report are a senior official in the secretariat of PACPM, an assistant chief state counsel in the federal ministry of justice and an agent of Atuche. Both officials were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice to serve in the PACPM secretariat. EFCC investigation revealed that the two officials both got money from the agent of Atuche to insert his name on the list. The EFCC claims efforts are in top gear to arrest the co-conspirators for prosecution.
THEWILL recalls how Atuche at some point in his banking career was considered a wizard in his field. He would later rise to the peak of his career as the managing director of Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank. With position came influence and then money, which he had full access to. He was not only well respected in his industry, himself and his wife, Elizabeth, courted the limelight. They were the quintessential couple, who never failed to light up any social event they stepped into together.
While Francis was always dressed in some of the best designer silk suits, his wife was no less different. From high street apparels to jewelries made from different precious stones, Elizabeth was always drenched in them. Gracing newspaper and magazine covers was like breathing to them. But what many didn’t know was that Francis and his wife were involved in money laundering, using depositors’ funds. Shortly before he was sentenced, Atuche, who had formerly boasted that as a Catholic who was baptised in the church and one who takes the Holy Communion every day, he could not possibly be a thief because God has been gracious to him, suddenly began to plead for leniency.
“As a professional banker and chartered accountant, I don’t want to become a convict. I pray that God will place in your heart to be kind. I plead from the bottom of my heart. I’m extremely sorry, today will be a turning point in my life, I’m very sorry”, he told Okunnu.
