The Court of Appeal, Lagos, on Thursday reserved judgements on two appeals filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Rickey Tarfa, challenging his trial for alleged age falsification and obstruction of law enforcement officers carrying out their duties.
The appeals arose from separate charges filed against Tarfa by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Adedayo Akintoye and Justice Opesanwo both of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere.
Both judges had declined Tarfa’s application to quash the charges against him, ruling among others that the EFCC’s charges were competent and that the courts had jurisdiction to try the case.
The appellate court presided over by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba reserved judgments on both appeals after hearing arguments from the appellant’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) and that of the respondent, Rotimi Oyedepo.
Justice Garba later adjourned for judgment, adding that dates would be communicated to parties.
The EFCC had filed a 27-count charge against Tarfa before Justice Akintoye but, in a preliminary objection, he urged the court to quash the charges.
He claimed the charges were defective and that the commission had no statutory power to try him on the alleged offences.
Tarfa argued that the proof of evidence supplied by the EFCC failed to support the charges, describing them as incompetent and abuse of court processes.