A former Managing Director of Finbank Plc, Okey Nwosu and his co-defendants, on Monday asked an Ikeja High Court to dismiss the N10.9 billion theft charge preferred against them.
Nwosu and three former directors of the bank made the request in separate no-case submissions filed by their counsel.
Nwosu is standing trial alongside the trio of Dayo Famoroti, Danjuma Ocholi and Agnes Ebubedike before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former bank chiefs are facing a 26-count charge of stealing to which the accused pleaded not guilty.
The EFCC had closed its case on June 28 after calling nine witnesses to testify against the bank chiefs.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the defendants’ counsel — Messers James Ocholi (SAN), Seyi Sowemimo (SAN) and Okorie Kalu — said they had filed no-case submissions.
They told the court that they filed the applications because no prima-facie case had been established against the defendants to warrant them to open their defence.
The EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), opposed the applications, saying the prosecution had filed its counter-affidavit to the applications which had been served on the defendants.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till Sept. 30 for hearing of the applications.