Embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Rickey Tarfa, has explained that the contentious N225,000.00 he transferred into the bank account of Justice Muhammed Yunusa was not meant to bribe the judge as alleged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission currently trying the lawyer for frustrating the agency from arresting his clients.
Tarfa explained that the amount was a donation to the judge to partly offset the burial expenses of his father-in-law, Audi Damasa. The lawyer said he dropped the money just like the judge’s other friends.
In an affidavit filed by the senior lawyer through John Odubela, the head of his chambers, before a Federal High Court in Lagos, he said he did not, on 7th January, 2014 bribe Honourable Justice M.N. Yunusa with the sum of N225,000 or any other sum at all.
According to him, “it was common knowledge in the legal circles that Honourable Justice M.N. Yunusa lost his father-in-law, Alhaji Audi Garba Damasa on the 28th December, 2013 in Maiduguri and travelled there to attend to the funeral rites.
“The applicant and some friends of Honourable Justice M.N. Yunusa made some donations towards the said funeral rites and to commiserate with the judge since they could not physically go and commiserate with him in Maiduguri, where he was and stayed for a while.
“The contributed monies amounted to N225,000, which sum was given to the applicant with the responsibility to get same across to the bereaved judge.
“The applicant consequently made arrangements to forward the sum N225,000.
“I know as a fact that it is common in Nigeria for friends and well-wishers to contribute gifts in cash and kind to people who are celebrating or bereaved.”
The EFCC had said evidence obtained from the lawyer’s phone showed the judge showing appreciation to Tarfa for the money.
Tarfa, who is still being tried, has sued the EFCC and is demanding N2.5 billion for the violation of his fundamental rights.
