An Abuja-based lawyer, Mohammed Auwal Yinusa, on Wednesday told an Igbosere High Court, Lagos, that he was shocked to read in the newspapers that his Access Bank account number was quoted as belonging to Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa.
Yinusa said this while giving evidence as a second defence witness in the trial of Rickey Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), charged with giving gratification to a judicial officer.
Yinusa was Tarfa’s employee between 2011 and 2014.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned Tarfa on March 10, 2016 on a 27-count charge which was subsequently amended to 26-count.
He was accused of alleged willful obstruction of EFCC officials, refusal to declare assets and giving false information to a public officer by lying about his age.
According to the EFCC, Tafa paid N225,000 in 2014 into an Access Bank account which it said belonged to a Federal High Court judge, Justice Yunusa.
The anti-graft body also alleged, among others, that Tarfa offered N5.3 million as gratification to Justice hyeladzira Nganjiwa in order to compromise Justice Yunusa.
The commission claimed that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.
Tarfa, however, pleaded not guilty.
On March 13, Justice Adedayo Akintoye ordered Tarfa to call his witnesses so as to open his defence.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the order followed the dismissal of Tarfa’s no-case submission on February 9.
At the commencement of proceedings on Wednesday, Tarfa’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), led Yinusa in examination-in-chief.
Yinusa said he left Tarfa’s employment in 2014 for further studies abroad following which the lawyer transferred a N225,000 to his account to support his education.
He explained that he owned the Access Bank account which the N225,000 was paid into which the EFCC claimed that Tarfa bribed a judge with.
Yinusa said: “I found that my Access Bank account was quoted in that publication. I was in a state of shock.”
He added that he rushed to his bank and obtained a certified true copy of his statement of account which showed that it was indeed his account that was quoted by the EFCC.
He said: “I was shocked My Lord because I am not a judge, I never received gratification from the defendant.
“My name is Mohammed Auwal Yinusa. The judge’s name is Mohammed Nasir Yinusa. I am not related to him. He is from Yobe State, I am Igalla from Kogi State. Until recently when I saw him on television, I had never set my eyes on him.”
Under cross-examination by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, Yinusa said other payments the silk allegedly made to any other judge were not made through his bank account.
Justice Akintoye adjourned until March 22 for re-examination of the witness.
Earlier, Yinusa’s relationship officer from Access Bank, Abisola Olutade, testified as the first defence witness.
Her testimony was preceded by a National Judicial Council staff, Olufolake Saleh Ahmed, who tendered a Certified True Copy of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and a revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of Nigeria.
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