RICKEY TARFA'S TRIAL: WITNESS TESTIFYS IN SUPPORT OF THE BRIBERY CLAIM
An Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission’s witness in the ongoing trial of Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN) has
revealed how Tarfa allegedly paid money into the bank account of two federal
High Court judges.
The witness, Tosin Owobo,
said this while being led in evidence by the counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi
Oyedepo.
Tarfa is standing trial
before Justice A.A. Akintoye of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere.
The witness, who is an EFCC
operative, told the court that in the course of investigation, the commission
wrote letters to Zenith and Fidelity banks requesting information on Tarfa and
Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited’s account.
The responses showed that
the signatory to the company’s account was a Justice which was later found to
be Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa.
Also featured in the
statement of account was one Mohammed Nasir Yunusa, another judge of the
Federal High Court.
The witness gave a
breakdown of some transactions in the account linking Tarfa and the two judges
from the statement of account received.
According to the witness,
several payments were made into the account at different times by the suspect.
“On August 6,2013, a cheque
of N500,000 was paid to H. A. Nganjiwa by Rickey Tarfa.
“On January 29, 2014, they
discovered that H. A. Nganjiwa was paid the sum of N1.5m,” he said.
He narrated further that a
cheque in the sum of N835,000 was paid to Nganjiwa on October 3, 2014. Also on
December 23, 2014, he received N500,000 which was cleared from Rickey Tafar’s
account. Another cash deposit of N1.5m was made into that account at Awa Ajia
by Rickey Tafar.
He added that on October
27, 2015, a cash deposit of N1.5m was made into that account of H. A. Nganjiwa
by Rickey Tafar. On December 30, 2015, there was also a cash deposit in the sum
of N500,000. A cash deposit of N500,000 by Rickey Tafar was made to Awa
Ajia Nig. Ltd. on January 8, 2016.
Owobo alleged that on
November 30, 2015, there was a transfer from Hauwa Nig. Ltd. to Yunusa the sum
of N200,000, also on December 15, 2015, a transaction of the sum of N500,000 to
Yunusa.
He added, “On February 9, 2016, a transfer from Hauwa
Nig. Ltd. to Mohammed Yunusa the sum of N300,000 was made. Also on transaction
tickets which were issued to the bank with instructions which the account
should be debited and credited, they discovered that the signature instructions
were signed by Tafar.
“On June 28, 2012 the account of H. A. Nganjiwa was
credited with sum of N500,000 and N1.5m from Rickey Tafar.
“On December 22, 2014, a deposit of N500,000 was
made, and on December 11, 2014, the judge of Federal High Court, paid N3.5m to
Rickey Tafar’s account.
“On 13th February, 2015 there was a transfer of
N250,000 from Tafar to Nganjiwa, and on 18th June, 2015, there was another
transfer of N500,000 to H. A. Nganjiwa, which were made by the same Tafar.”
The defence counsel,
Abiodun J. Owonikoko (SAN), raised several objections to prosecuting counsel
tendering some exhibits before the court, which the court overruled.
Justice Akintoye adjourned
the matter till and October 13 and 14, 2016, for further hearing
RICKEY TARFA'S TRIAL: WITNESS TESTIFYS IN SUPPORT OF THE BRIBERY CLAIM
Reviewed by adeyemo nathaniel
on
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
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