Azeez Folorunso/
Justice Mohammed Yinusa of the Federal High Court was dragged before a Lagos High Court, in Ikeja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today.
He was accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by engaging in constant private and confidential telephone communications with Mr Rickey Tarfa SAN while presiding over two of the lawyer’s matter.
Justice Yinusa appeared before Justice Sherifat Solebo alongside a staff of Rickey Tarfa Chambers, Esther Agbor facing a 5-count charge.
He was also charged with corruption for allegedly receiving the sum of N1.5million paid to him by his co-defendant, Esther Agbo in order to give decisions in favour of the Chambers of the Law Firm of Rickey Tarfa.
In the third count, Justice Yinusa is charged with agreeing to receive financial benefit from another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Joseph Nwobike in other to give favorable decisions in the cases of the lawyer before him.
The EFCC also claimed that Justice Yinusa received the sum of N750,000 from Mr Nwobike and in the fifth charge, Esther Agbo is charged with offering gratification of NI.5million to Justice Yinusa in order to induce him to give decisions in favour of the Law Chambers of Rickey Tarfa, charges which both defendants pleaded not guilty to.
After listening to the bail application filled by the lead defense counsel Mr I. Mohammed for the two defendants, the Court stood the matter down for 30 minutes for ruling.
Justice Yinusa’s name had come up several times during the trial of two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa and Joseph Nwobike as one of the judges they allegedly bribed.
While asking the Court to grant his client bail, Counsel to Justice Yinusa said that the Judge had a lot to lose should he decide to abscond.
He said, “My Lord all the charges are bailable offences, and I am therefore asking that my client be granted bail on self recognizance.
“The first defendant is a serving judge of the Federal High Court. In fact he is a well known Nigerian and cannot be a flight risk.
“In fact he is still listed as a serving Judge in the Federal Government’s official gazette.”
Also applying for his client’s bail, counsel to the second defendant, Olusegun Odubela SAN informed the Court that the client is a nursing mother, as he drew the Judge’s attention to an attached medical report.
He said, “The second defendant is a nursing mother who gave birth through Cesarean operation.
“I pray the Court grant my client bail in the most liberal terms as she is not going to be a flight risk. She has worked with Rickey Tarfa Chambers for 10 years, the same chambers I have worked with for the past 28 years.”
Justice Solebo in her ruling admitted Justice Yinusa to bail on self recognizance, as the Court also said that he must not travel outside the court’s jurisdiction without permission and that he must also submit his travel documents with the Chief Registrar of the Court.
“The second defendant is also granted bail of N1million with two sureties who must show evidence of tax payment which must be verified by the Court,” the judge ruled.
The matter was adjourned till February 20 for trial.