Law firm refutes EFCC’s allegation against Tarfa

A LAGOS-BASED law firm, Rickey Tarfa & Co, yesterday denied allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that its Principal Partner and Head of Practice, Rickey Tarfa (SAN), was arrested and detained for obstructing the course of justice.

The law firm also explained how the personal intervention of the President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh (SAN), to secure his bail was rebuffed by the anti-graft agency.

Tarfa was arrested last Friday along with his clients, who are Beninoise nationals, Ghanhouse Sourous Nazaire and Zenou Modeste, while performing his professional duty inside the Lagos High Court room.

According to a statement by its Partner and Head of Chambers, Mr. John Olusegun Odubela, titled: “Rickey Tarfa (SAN): EFCC lied”, the law firm said the personal intervention of the NBA President, Alegeh, in company of more than 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria “to discuss or process the bail “of Tarfa despite “assurance given to him (Alegeh) by EFCC turned out to be “dummy by the highest authority of the anti-graft agency about granting bail to Mr. R. Tarfa on the personal surety of NBA President.

“The NBA President was kept waiting in the office of EFCC from about 2.00 p.m. till 8.00 p.m. on Saturday, February 6, when they left the EFCC premises disappointed and humiliated.

“He did not obstruct the course of justice and was at no point in any position to obstruct the course of justice among the EFCC operatives.

“It is germane to state that the matter before the court has no bearing with corruption-related issue. It is purely between a husband and wife struggling for a control of a manufacturing company they jointly promoted. It is purely a matrimonial issue that went sour”, the statement said.

While decrying Tarfa’s arrest, the law firm said: “This is not how to fight corruption. The Federal Government needs to be pitied because the crusade against the scourge of corruption is gradually being derailed by the Fifth Columnist bent on setting the legal profession on a needless course with the government in its legitimate and publicly acclaimed drive to address the scourge of corruption bedeviling our country at present.”