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 N35millionas tithe from Atuche, St Augustine got N10million.
Sources in the commission told icirnigeria.org that the agency has taken a decision to recoverthe entire amount and plans to arrest the priests and leaders of both churches to help in the recovery of the money.

The EFCC, our sources revealed, wants to use this as atest case to deal with religious bodies who help criminals to launder money in the guise of performing religious obligationssuch as tithes, offerings and vows.

The commission is said to be worried that many Nigerians, inboth the public and private sectors, who steal money hide under such religious obligationsto launder some of their loot and anti – graft agencies and the police have found it difficultto 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 youreceive 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.

Apart taking from action on thisparticular case, it was gatheredthat the EFCC will also come out with a stern warning to religious houses to investigate the source of funds that come to them from worshippers, particularly when it involves public figures and large amounts of money.
The commission may also engage religious houses and organizations in the country through seminars and interactions to sensitize them about what the law says about receiving stolen funds.

The EFCC has great latitude under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004 to prosecute persons who receive proceeds of crime.
In fact, such persons, under theAct are liable to a jail term of between two to three years.
Section 14: (1) (a) of the Act makes it an offense for any person to convert or transfer any resources or property derived from illicit traffic in drugs, crimes and other illicit acts.

More specifically, Section 14: (1) (b) states that any person that “collaborates in concealingor disguising the Genuine nature, origin, location, disposition, movement or ownership of the resources, property or right thereto derived directly or indirectly from the illicit traffic in narcoticdrugs, psychotropic substance or any other crime or illicit act commits a crime”
The person is also “liable on conviction to a term not less than 2 years or mare than 3 years”.
Section 16 of the Act also makes it an offense punishable by up to five years imprisonment for anybody to “retain the proceeds of a crime or illegal act on behalf of another person knowing or suspecting that the other person to be engaged in a criminal conduct or has benefited from a criminal conduct.”

The Act also does not preclude a corporate body from prosecution as Section 18 (1) states: “Where an offense under this act has been committed by a body corporateis proved to have been committed the instigation or with the connivance of or attributable to any neglect on the part of a director, manager,secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate shallbe guilty of that offense and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.”

Under Section 18 (2) the court can order any corporate body found guilty to be wound up and it’s assets and property forfeited to the federal government.

Mr. Atuche and others are standing trial for stealing over N10 billion belonging to Bank PHB. At the resumed hearing in the case before Justice Lateefat Okunnu last week, a witness, Solomon AbolajiOgunsola, a former staff of PHB Mortgages Limited, alleged that Atuche paid the N45 million tithe from an account of PHB Mortgage Limited.

Lead prosecution counsel, KemiPinheiro, presented documents in court, including e-mail ordersfor the releaseof the sum of N45 million to the two churches.

maclatunji: What a shame? Can this clergymen truly say in their hearts-of-hearts that they didn't know the money they were collecting as tithe was tainted?

9ja_I_hail:

Don't be stupiid in church you don't write your name on tithes. Tithes usually come with envelop and go into tithe box. Rev's don't know who and who pay their tithes, when it's time for tithes members who want to pay their tithe will move to the alter and pay tithes they don't hand it over to the priest hand to hand.

maclatunji: What a shame? Can this clergymen truly say in their hearts-of-hearts that they didn't know the money they were collecting as tithe was tainted?

1025:

you are mentally retarded and ur efcc do not have anything to offer.
nobody asks anybody to go and still to pay tithe but if anyone goes to arrest a rev father over such, the fire of God will burn that one to ashes.

maclatunji:

You are implying that N35 million and N10 million were delivered in cash to the two churches and the clergymen were "blissfully" ignorant of the donor?

gidiMonsta:

So a reverend father involved in Money laundering should be left alone, just because you don't want to touch a 'Man of God'? No wonder Africa is so backward.

NB: It's 'steal' retard.

1025:

you are mentally retarded and ur efcc do not have anything to offer.
nobody asks anybody to go and still to pay tithe but if anyone goes to arrest a rev father over such, the fire of God will burn that one to ashes.

gramci:
The EFCC, our sources revealed, wants to use this as atest case to deal with religious bodies who help criminals to launder money in the guise of performing religious obligationssuch as tithes, offerings and vows.
The commission is said to be worried that many Nigerians, inboth the public and private sectors, who steal money hide under such religious obligationsto launder some of their loot and anti – graft agencies and the police have found it difficultto 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 youreceive 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.

9ja_I_hail:

In this case bro no one is saying if any rev or pastor caught in money laundry they should not face the law. Here we are talking about tithe, the man gave tithe to the church how do the church know who pay the biggest tithe? Have you been to churches before and see how tithe is been paid?

9ja_I_hail:

Don't be stupiid in church you don't write your name on tithes. Tithes usually come with envelop and go into tithe box. Rev's don't know who and who pay their tithes, when it's time for tithes members who want to pay their tithe will move to the alter and pay tithes they don't hand it over to the priest hand to hand.

ilugunboy: Pukkah..youve said all that needed to be said.



You are a very big hypocrite!!!

Pukkah:

How is tithe paid? It is either you pay cash or draw cheques/drafts. Another alternative is bank transfers.

Do you think a tithe of N45 million could have been paid without a trail?

Do you know the meaning and grave implications of Money Laundering?

9ja_I_hail:

Are you not silly by going about calling names without making your point. My simple question is do you know the meaning of tithe and do you know how it been paid? answer the question before you run mad

9ja_I_hail:

Your point is understandable still you failed to realize that big churches like catholic church redeem etc that has a lots number of top men do receive tithes of 1billion naira talk of 45million.

9ja_I_hail:

Your point is understandable still you failed to realize that big churches like catholic church redeem etc that has a lots number of top men do receive tithes of 1billion naira talk of 45million.

usmanyaro17: Was he compelled to pay the tithes,I don't blame the vicar in anyway,how will he know that it's a fraudulent money knowing the man's position in the society.

9ja_I_hail:

Are you not silly by going about calling names without making your point. My simple question is do you know the meaning of tithe and do you know how it been paid? answer the question before you run mad

maclatunji:

You are implying that N35 million and N10 million were delivered in cash to the two churches and the clergymen were "blissfully" ignorant of the donor?

1025:

you are mentally retarded and ur efcc do not have anything to offer.
nobody asks anybody to go and still to pay tithe but if anyone goes to arrest a rev father over such, the fire of God will burn that one to ashes.