The EFCC accuses Atuche of donating N45million of depositor’s fund to two churches |
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, is set to arrest reverend fathers and leaders of the
two Catholic Churches in Delta State which received from Francis Atuche,
former managing director of Bank PHB, money believed to be stolen
depositors’ funds, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting has reported.
Mr. Atuche, who is standing trial at the
Lagos High Court, Ikeja, paid N45 million he allegedly stole from
depositor to St. Monica Catholic Church and St. Augustine Catholic
Church, both located in Ibusa, Delta State.
While St. Monica got N35million as tithe from Atuche, St Augustine got N10million.
Sources in the commission told icirnigeria.org that
the agency has taken a decision to recover the entire amount and plans
to arrest the priests and leaders of both churches to help in the
recovery of the money.
The commission is said to be worried
that many Nigerians, in both the public and private sectors, who steal
money hide under such religious obligations to launder some of their
loot and anti – graft agencies and the police have found it difficult to
deal with the matter because of it’s sensitive religious nature.
But one of our sources in the EFCC said
the commission will “no longer tolerate religious institutions, whether
churches or mosques, synagogues, shrines or whatever, receiving stolen
money in the guise of offering or tithes”.
“It is money laundering, simple. You
might pretend to be ignorant of the source of the money, but under the
law if you receive money from proceeds of crime you are guilty of money
laundering and ignorance is no excuse under the law,” the source said.
According to the source, henceforth, any
money illicitly obtained and given to any religious body or
organization will be fully recovered.
Source: PremiumTimes
No comments:
Post a Comment