By ABDULWAHAB ABDULAH & KEHINDE OLASANMI
LAGOS— Trial of the former Managing Director of Bank PHB Plc, (now Keystone Bank), Mr. Francis Atuche, continued yesterday, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s witness, Mr. Waidi Gbadamosi, admitting that he could not explain the contents of the banking documents he tendered before the High Court on Tuesday.

However, concluding his evidence before the court, he told Justice Lateefa Bisola  Okunnu, that some of the loans which were subject of litigation before the state high court were not granted in line with the policies of the bank.

Led in evidence by EFCC lead counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Gbadamosi said there were loans granted which were never applied for, but maintained that on some occasions, there were “exceptional” situations where the bank gave facilities to customers without formal application.

According to him, one of such facilities was granted to a company, Petosan Oil & Gas Ltd.

He added that large amount of money  “will be very  unusual” to fall under the exceptional circumstances.

While being cross-examined by Atuche’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN, the witness said such situations could arise under customer-relationship management policy of the bank.

He noted that processes of such transaction were usually regularised “within a certain time-frame,” the moment transaction was concluded.

Gbadamosi said he could not give detail of over 45 documents tendered by the  prosecution on Tuesday, since he was asked to appear on behalf of the bank while responding to the subpoena from the court.

He said there was no time for him to review the documents before they were tendered.

Questioned about the documents, he said simply:   “I don’t know anything about the documents.”

This, according to the defence, is confirming the arguments that he was before the court to “just come and dump the documents before the court and leave”.

Atuche,his wife, Elizabeth and a bank official,Ugo Anyanwu, are facing a charge of theft in the bank.

Further hearing of the case is fixed for  January 15, 2012, for Anyanwu’s counsel, Mr. Sylva Ogwemoh,  to cross-examine the witness.