Court adjourns senior advocate case of falsification, gratification to May 16

A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos yesterday has adjourned till May 16, the trial of Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN), for alleged age falsification and offering of gratification to a public officer.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye, adjourned the case at the instance of a letter written by prosecution counsel to EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, to the court proposing the continuation of the trial on three dates – one in March and two in April – one of which falls on a public holiday and the other Saturday.

At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, Justice Akintoye informed defence counsel Ade Adedeji (SAN) that Oyedepo, who was absent, had
written to the court to seek an adjournment of trial.

It will be recalled that, Tarfa is standing trial on a 27-count charge pressed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).

Oyedepo’s letter, which was shown to Adedeji, informed the court that he had received a hearing notice from the Court of Appeal, Lagos
summoning him to appear in a matter scheduled for yesterday morning.

He suggested that the previously scheduled dates, including yesterday’s, be vacated and that the trial be shifted to March 30,April 14 and 15.

Adedeji, who expressed surprise at the dates, observed that April 14 was Good Friday – a national public holiday – and that April 15 was
Saturday, a weekend.

“Two of the suggested dates fall on a public holiday and a weekend,” he said.He proposed a date in May and Justice Akintoye adjourned the case till May 16, 17 and 18 for continuation of trial.

The EFCC arraigned Tarfa on March 10, 2016 on a 27-count charge which was subsequently amended to 26 counts bordering on alleged willful obstruction of its authorised officers, refusal to declare assets and giving false information to a public officer.

The agency also alleged, among others, that the lawyer offered N5.3million gratification to Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Lagos in order to compromise the judge.

The commission claimed that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches to Justice Nganjiwa between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.He pleaded not guilty to the charge.