A Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere on Tuesday assumed jurisdiction in the two- count charge filed against the embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Rickey Tarfa, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Aishat Opesanwo dismissed Tarfa’s preliminary objection to the charges – obstructing officers of law from carrying out their duties and attempting to pervert the cause of justice by communicating with a Federal High Court judge handling a suit he filed against the commission.
She ruled that the information filed by the EFCC against Tarfa suggested that the lawyer
“had some explaining to do,” on why he allegedly contacted the judge.
Tarfa had, in an application filed through his counsel, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), argued that the case was an abuse of court process and urged the court to quash the charge and decline jurisdiction.
Owonikoko argued among others that the authority of EFCC to prosecute is limited to economic and financial crimes, which the alleged offences of obstructing officers of law and attempting to perverse the cause of justice were not.
The lawyer told the court that the EFCC had no powers to prosecute general criminal offences outside its jurisdiction.
He added that the allegations against Tarfa are currently before the Court of Appeal, insisting that the matter constitutes an abuse of court process.