Funke Busari, Lagos
The bribery allegation against a Federal High court judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa before Justice Sherifat Sholebo has has suffered a setback.
The trial judge on Monday expunged name of Justice Yunusa from the charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
She gave the ruling after she was informed by the defendant counsel, Mr. I. B. Mohammed that the embattled judge has been exonerated by the National Judicial Council, NJC.
Recall that the anti-graft agency had dragged Justice Yunusa alongside one Esther Agbo, an employee of Rickey Tarfa law firm over allegations of bribery to pervert the course of justice.
The defendant counsel informed the court that he had filed two letters bordering on NJC Exoneration Letter signed by the Deputy Chairman of NJC, Justice Rhodes Vivour and a Lifting of Suspension letter signed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho.
The EFCC counsel, Mr. Wahab Shittu however did not oppose tendering of the letters at the resumed hearing which the court admitted and subsequently expunged the name of the embattled judge.
Shittu urged the court to allow the Commission re-arraign the second defendant, Esther Agbo on an amended information.
Upon the rearraignment and not guilty plea of the second defendant, Esther Agbo on a four counts charge levelled against her, the prosecutor opened trial and called on 11th prosecution witness, the team leader of Special Task Force 4, Zakari Usman the investigating officer of the bribery allegations.
Usman narrated to the court that the commission received a petition against a Senior Advocate, Rickey Tarfa and thereafter commenced investigation into the allegations.
He told Justice Solebo that in the course of their investigation they stumble on a call log between Tarfa and a serving judge which they beemed their search light on, to discover that there are various transactions between Tarfa and Justice Yunusa.
The investigating officer pointed out that one of the transactions was carried out by Esther Agbo, an employee of Rickey Tarfa law firm through his UBA account and a convicted Senior Advocate, Joseph Nwobike on the same allegations.
Under cross examination by defendant counsel, John Olusegun Odubela, SAN, Usman stated that the statement of Justice Nyagunwa nailed Esther Agbo on the said allegations.
Odubela thereafter requested for an adjournment to enable the witness provide the statement.
But in an interview with newsmen, EFCC counsel, Shittu stated that the anti graft agency has filed an Appeal to upturn the decision of the NJC as it lack merits in the interest of justice, having convicted one of the actors of the bribery allegations, Joseph Nwobike.
