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Rickey Tarfa Docked For Tampering With Justice, EFCC Says

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it docked the embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, for attempting to pervert the course of Justice.

This is contained in a counter-affidavit in response to the application filed by Mr. Tarfa asking Justice Aishat Opesanwo of the Lagos State High Court Igbosere to quash the charge against him before the court. 

Mr. Tarfa was arraigned before the court on February 16 on a two count criminal charge involving alleged willful obstruction of an officer of the agency in the course of his lawful duty. 

In the second count, on which Mr. Tarfa was alleged to have attempted to pervert the course of Justice, he pleaded not guilty. 

In the counter affidavit filed by the EFCC and deposed to by Sanusi Mohammed, an agent of the commission, in opposition to the application to quash the charge, the agency revealed how Tafar allegedly committed the said offences.

In a 28-paragraph affidavit,  Mohammed averred that in the process of investigating a petition dated December 16, 2013, written by Lagos lawyer Femi Falana, the defendant filed two fundamental rights enforcement suits against the commission—No FHC/L/CS/715/2015- Rena Prestige industries Nigeria Ltd and Mr. Gnanhouse Sourou Nazaira V EFCC and two Others and FHC/L/CS/716/ 2015- Hair Prestige Manufacturing Nigeria Ltd Vs EFCC and two  Othesr—at the Federal High Court, Lagos division on behalf of his clients. 

That Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High court presided over the two suits in which the judge delivered Judgement on September 8, 2015 respectively in favor of the defendants and his  ‎clients, the court also awarded a total sum of N10million in the two cases as damages against the EFCC and two other respondents.

The EFCC further stated that in connection with the said suits, ‎the commission received intelligence reports that Tafar was communicating with Justice Yunusa with a view to getting a favorable judgment against the commission.

The anti-graft agency also stated that ‎its investigation confirmed this report and further revealed that the chambers of the defendants was in the habit of instructing the registrars of the Federal High Court to assign matters being handled by the chambers to Justice Yunusa. 

At the resumed hearing of the matter today which was slated for the hearing of the application, Nnaemeka Nigige, the counsel to the defendant, told the court that the EFCC served them their counter-affidavit on Friday at about 2:50pm, making it impossible for them to be able to reply to it until this morning in the court.

In his response, EFCC prosecuting counsel Gbolahan Latona, confirmed that they received further and better affidavit’s adding that they needed more time to study the reply served on them before replying.

Judge Aishat Opesanwo adjourned hearing on the pending applications until March 21.

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Corruption Legal