NAN-H-127
Appeal
By Sandra Umeh
Lagos, Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Tuesday fixed Jan. 19, 2017 to hear an appeal by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rickey Tarfa, challenging a bribery charge preferred against him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Tarfa on March 10, for allegedly offering a N5.3 million gratification to Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa,
The anti-graft agency alleged that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches to the judge between June 27, 2012 and Dec. 23, 2014.
Tarfa, through his defence team comprising of 34 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, filed a motion on notice challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.
However, the trial judge, Justice A A Akintoye, in her ruling, dismissed the application and held that she had jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Dissatisfied, Tarfa filed a Notice of Appeal and urged the appellate court to allow his appeal and set aside the ruling of the lower court.
At the resumed hearing in the appellate court, counsel to the appellant, Mr Biodun Owonikoko (SAN), informed the court that the record of appeal had been compiled and transmitted, adding that the appeal was ripe for hearing.
Also, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that the Commission had filed its briefs and was ready to argue the appeal.
Consequently, the presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, fixed Jan. 19, 2017 for hearing of the appeal.
Earlier, Tarfa had urged the lower court to quash the 27-count charge filed by the EFCC, claiming that the EFCC had no statutory power to try him on those charges.
He had argued that the proof of evidence supplied by the EFCC failed to support the charges, describing the charges as incompetent and an abuse of court processes.
He had prayed for an order of the court restraining the EFCC from further investigating or prosecution him in relation to the subject matter.
The trial judge, Justice Akintoye had held that she found enough substance in the proof of evidence placed before the court by the EFCC to warrant trial of the case.
In the 27-count charge filed against him, the EFCC, among other things, accused Tarfa of supplying false information.
The Commission alleged that Tarfa gave his age as 43 when he was indeed 54, an act the EFCC claimed to be an offence under Section 38(2) (a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004. (NAN)
UNS/HAS/OFN
Edited By Hajia Sani//Felix Nwadioha