By Innocent Anaba,

Lagos—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, held that Lagos lawyer, Mr. Rickey Tarfa, SAN,  can file a further and better affidavit to prove that the controversial N225,000 alleged paid to a judge, was not paid into the judge’s court’s account but a former employee of his law firm.

Ricky Tarfa

Tarfa had sought to re-open hearing in his N2.5billion fundamental rights suit and to advance further evidence, but same was opposed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris in a short ruling, yesterday, dismissed EFCC’s objection and held that Tarfa can adduce new evidence that was not available at the time his case was argued.

Tarfa had sued EFCC, alongside its chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, Moses Awolusi, who arrested Tarfa, and Deputy Director Operations, EFCC, Lagos office, Iliyasu Kwarbai, for allegedly violating his rights after he was arrested for hiding two suspects, Nazaire Sorou Gnanhoue and Modeste Finagnon, both Beninoise, in his Mercedes Benz Sports Utility Vehicle, thereby shielding them from arrest.

Meanwhile, the EFCC, yesterday alleged that another Lagos senior lawyer also transferred N750,000 to the embattled judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Mohammed Yunusa.

The anti-graft agency said another sum of N300,000 was transferred to the company account of another judge of the federal high court, Port Harcourt, Justice H. Nganjiwa.

EFCC made the allegation in a counter affidavit in opposition to the further and better affidavit deposed to by a former employee of Rickey Tarfa and Co., Mr Mohammed Yunusa.

He said: “Investigation has also shown that as part of this chain of fraud, the senior lawyer also transferred the sum of N300,000 to Justice H.A Nganjiwa.”

But the senior lawyer in his statement to the anti-graft agency, which was also attached to the affidavit, explained that the money was not meant to bribe the judge.

He said it was the judge who asked him for financial assistance in respect of his ill mother who was undergoing dialysis due to failing kidney.

That investigations further revealed that Justice Yunusa as part of this scheme of fraud also received the sum of N750,000 from Mr. Joseph Nwobike SAN and Co.,” he averred.