PH
Lagos – A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, has dismissed allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that he gave a bribe of N225 000 to Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court.
He claimed it was a donation from him and some of his friends towards the burial of the Justice’s father-in-law.
Tarfa’s denial was contained in an affidavit dated February 18 and filed on his behalf by one John Odubela, Head of Chambers of Messrs Rickey Tarfa and Co, before the Justice Mohammed Idris-led Federal High Court, Lagos dated February 18.
The Senior Advocate appeared on Friday before Justice Idris in continuation of his N2.5 billion fundamental rights suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for wrongful arrest and detention.
In the affidavit, the Senior Advocate explained that the money he gave Justice Yunusa was a donation from a committee of friends of the judge, including him, to support the judge in the burial of his late father-in-law in Maiduguri.
He was arrested by the EFCC for obstructing the arrest of two suspects of financial crimes, by hiding them in his car.
EFCC revealed that the applicant’s law firm was in the habit of asking the Chief Registrar of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court to assign his cases before His Lordship, Honourable Justice M. N. Yunusa, in furtherance of the understanding between the applicant and the particular judge.
