Romanus Okoye
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned a dismissed judge of the Federal High Court, Mohammed Yunusa, at the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos.
Yunusa was arraigned on a fresh eight-count charge of corruption alongside a staff of Rickey Tarfa Chambers, Esther Agbo. The duo were initially arraigned on a five-count charge of corruption on January 17, 2018.
Yunusa had faced a four-count charge of attempted perversion of the course of justice and corruption by a public official, while Agbo was charged with offering gratification to a public official .Yunusa faced fresh charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, corruption by a public official, use of office or position for gratification, gratification by a public official and corrupt demands by persons.
Agbo, on the other hand, faced fresh charges of offering gratification to a public officer and corrupt offer to a public officer. They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The lead EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said Yunusa while serving as a judge of the Federal High Court engaged in constant and confidential counsel with Tarfa.
He said: “Tarfa was the counsel to the applicants in suit no FHC/L/CS/714/2015 between Mr. Adewale Adeniyi vs EFCC and two others, suit no FHC/L/CS/715/2015 between Rena Prestige Industries and another vs EFCC and two others.
“He was also the counsel in suit no FHC/L/CS/716/2015 between Hair Prestige Manufacturing Ltd and three others vs EFCC and two others during the time Yunusa presided over these matters as a judge.
“On May 14, 2015, Yunusa received N1.5million paid into his UBA account number 1005055617 by Esther Agbo, a staff of Rickey Tarfa and Co on account of favour or disfavour being shown in relation to cases handled by the law chambers in the cases before him.”