The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday arraigned a senior lawyer, Rickey Tarfa, before Justice Aishat Opesanwo of Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on 2-count charge of obstruction of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mr. Tarfa pleaded not guilty to both counts.
Based on his plea, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo prayed the court for a trial date and to remand the defendant in custody.
However, Adeniyi Akintola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who led a team of over 90 Senior Advocates and other lawyers to represent Mr. Tarfa, said they had filed an application for bail which he said was served on the prosecution on the 10th of February, 2016.
In his application for bail, the defence counsel told the court that the defendant went to court voluntarily and that he was granted administrative bail by EFCC on self-recognition.
He said the defendant was a very senior member of the bar with no criminal record. He said there was nothing to show that the defendant would jump bail.
However, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the application as the offence was grave. He urged the court to dismiss the application and order for an accelerated hearing.


Justice Opesanwo, in her ruling, granted bail to Mr. Tarfa on self-recognition but ordered that he must not travel out of the country without the permission of the court.
The trial judge bemoaned the number of counsel who were in court for the defendant. She noted that there was no need for such magnitude of support as it amounts to harassment and intimidation of the court.
Soon after the ruling, Mr. Akintola told the court that he had filed an application to quash the charge.
Mr. Rotimi responded that he had not been served. He was subsequently served by the defence counsel in open court.
Justice Opesanwo adjourned the matter to March 14, for hearing of the application to quash the charge while the substantive case was fixed for April 20, 2016 for trial.
Mr. Ricky Tarfa, SAN, is accused of willfully obstructing two officers of the EFCC, Moses Awolusi and Sanusi Mohammed from arresting Gnanhooue Sourou and Nazaire Odeste, who were suspected to have committed economic and financial crimes in contravention of Section 38(2) (a) of the EFCC Establishment Act of 2004.
Also, he is alleged to have engaged in improper communication with Justice M. Yunusa of the Federal High Court Lagos between May 11 and June 25, 2015 while the case between the EFCC and two others was pending before the judge.
Count 1:
“That You Rickey Tarfa (SAN) on or about the 5th day of February, 2016 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, wilfully obstructed Moses Awolusi and Sanusi Mohammed, authorized officer of Economic and Financial Crime Commission from arresting GNANHOUE SOUROU and NAZAIRE ODESTE who were reasonably suspected to have committed economic and financial crimes by keeping the said suspects in your car between 11.00 hours to 16: 30 hours”
Count 2:
“RICKEY TARFA (SAN) between 11th of May and 25th of June, 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court attempted to pervert the course of justice by communicating with Hon. Justice M.N. Yunusa of the Federal High Court through your mobile Telephone No. 08034600000 whilst suit No: FHC/L/CS/715/2015 between Rana Prestige Industries Nigeria and EFCC and Suit No: FHC/L/CS/716 between Hair Prestige Manufacturing Nigeria and EFCC filed by you on behalf of the applicants in the two suits seeking to retrain the commission from performing its statutory duties were pending before the said judge”.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/198546-senior-nigerian-lawyer-rickey-tarfa-arraigned-floods-court-90-sans-lawyers.html

Gang of 90 armed robbers trying to protect a thief.
How can u bring 90 SANS to defend a case, they should knw that intimidation in a court is not allowed,

Great action by EFCC

Choi!! 90 SANs!! Nobi small thingooo

Hehehehehehe make I laugh abeg!

Buhari never see the owners of this land.

Learned silks sir, more grease to una elbow oo. We down below dey hail una.

skyfall:


You'll always be below the thieves, picking crumbs and hailing them. Suffering and smiling!

Yes! I will always be below a Learned silk and vacate the inner Bar for him whenever he enters the Court, till I become one myself.

As for your calling them thieves: these are the men your father and his generation couldn't become. That is why you are attacking them.

Worm!

Wrong is wrong no matter who does it.
Ricky Tarfa and the 90 vandals of the temple of justice.

Those so called SANS are Nigeria's major problem. I just hope they send TARFA to jail to serve as deterrence to others

And the worst path is Wole Olanipekun SAN who lead his colleagues to defend Rickey Tarfa. The only SAN who defend the thief and the owner

Loool. This is hilarious

This could be a world record for all we know. Ninety

90 SANs?
I can imagine the scene if all of them decide to argue the case at once.

It would be Fuji court of commotion

Too many cooks spoil the broth!

g

Lol. Where would they sit?

Im sorry to say that many Nigerian lawyers are hopeless opportunist clowns. These 90 SANs are not there for solidarity support, its rather a field day of eye service. Remember that the accused had filed a suit of 2.5billion against the EFCC. These guys are seeing it as an opportunity to put heads together to see if they could intimidate the judge and win the case so they are following Tarfa the way houseflies follow a man with poo.
Imagine if through their intimidation and combined legal maneuver Tarfa is awarded half or even quarter of the amount in question and he gives them 30 to 50percent of the spoil to share amongst themselves.

90 mental armed men...lol

All Buhari's enemies are being probed/tried for one offence or the other.

Vindictive man.

Funny country. Are they all in court to intimidate the judge The SAN thing sef don become 3 for 10 kobo. It has since lost its shine.

..

Only in Nigeria.

Will their presence intimidate the Judge?

With so many SANs any wonder some of them are jobless that they have time to occupy another to court for free.

Though i am a law student, I feel Law is the only profession that has failed Nigeria...

Engineering is following suite.

ohhh boy! Just what Magu was complaining this afternoon. na most of our lawyers dey jeopardise anti corruption mandate.

No one is above the law.

Aromas:
And the worst path is Wole Olanipekun SAN who lead his colleagues to defend Rickey Tarfa. The only SAN who defend the thief and the owner

Where did you see wole olanipekun in the report? The report clearly states that it was Niyi Akintola that led other SANs

This is what this twisted lawyers are good at, twisting and perverting justice just because they know the law.

I hope the fielding of 90 SAN isn't an attempt to intimidate the judge.

The law is bigger than all of them put together.

SAN no get meaning again 4 9ja...

Corrupt Judiciary

Hmm

that's why I believe in Military....He did embarrassed EFCC official and embarrassed and terrified the court with 90 SANs,

Law really meant to catch and punish the Poor ....
someone who stole N5 will be in jail while this kind people walk freely

even the trial SAN has to quickly told the court that they are preparing to quash the charges after running mouth for bail to be refused

erunz:

Soon after the ruling, Mr. Akintola told the court that he had filed an application to quash the charge.
Mr. Rotimi responded that he had not been served. He was subsequently served by the defence counsel in open court

after court the judge go send apology text...saying Tarfa no vex sir, if I did wrong, we should have come to your house instead of allowing you to come to the court.

Law really meant to catch and punish the Poor
shame on Lawyers

90 SANs? The supreme Court should suspend the award of SAN to these individual s

Perfect men aint real and real men aint perfect!