EFCC slams 27 charges against Tarfa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has slammed 27 charges against Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN) for allegedly bribing a High Court judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa.

The EFCC had on Friday charged another senior advocate, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, for allegedly bribing the same judge with N750,000.

In a statement by the spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the anti-graft agency said Tarfa and Nwobike would be arraigned in a Lagos State High Court.

In two separate charges filed by the anti graft agency, the learned silk are accused of offering gratification running into millions of naira to judges in a bizarre ploy to influence decisions in their favour.

Tarfa is facing 27 counts of alleged wilful obstruction of authorised officers of the EFCC, refusing to declare asset, making false information to an officer of the EFCC and offering gratification to a public official.

According to the anti-graft agency, Tarfa allegedly bribed Yunusa by depositing money into the account of another federal judge, Justice Nganjiwa Ajiya

Some of the counts read in part, “That you Rickey Tarfa on the 29th day of January, 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N1.5m to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court directly from your Zenith Bank Account No.1002926967, in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.

“That you Rickey Tarfa (SAN) on the 3rd day of October, 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N 835,000 to Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court directly from your Zenith Bank Account No.1002926967, in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.

“That you Rickey Tarfa (SAN) on or about the 15th day of December, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N500, 000 to Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court indirectly through Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited’s account No. 0000971931 domiciled in Access Bank Plc belonging to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya in order that Hon. Mohammed Nasir Yunusa refrains from acting in the exercise of his official duties.”