A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere on Friday declined to grant an application for stay of proceeding filed by the embattled Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ricky Tarfa.
Tarfa, was arraigned on March 9 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 27-count charge bordering on refusal to declare assets, making false statement, offering gratification to public officer, failure to declare his assets in the assests declaration form.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, counsel to Tarfa, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), told the court that he filed an application for stay of proceeding pending the hearing of the appeal at the Court of Appeal.
The counsel urged the court to grant the application, adding that refusal of the application would cause great hardship to the accused.
Owonikoko also said that justice would be seen to be done if the application was granted.
Tarfa had filed an appeal against the ruling of the court delivered on April 22, refusing to quash the charges against him and to decline jurisdiction.
However, the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the application and to proceed with the commencement of trial which the court scheduled to do.
Oyedepo said that he had two witnesses in court and was ready to proceed with the trial.
Justice A. A. Akintoye, ruled that the court would not entertain any stay of proceeding in a criminal case till judgement was delivered.
“This court will not entertain any stay or defer the proceeding on criminal case until judgement is delivered, as a result the trial will continue today,” Akintoye said.
Consequently, Mr Oliver Enwerem, a staff of Access Bank PLC, was called as the first prosecution witness.
He told the court that EFCC wrote a letter to his Bank and requested the statement of account of Rickey Tarfa and Awa Ajah Enterprises Ltd.
He said that the signatory to the account was one H. A. Nganjiwa and it was a company’s account.
He said that on Oct. 27, 2015, a cash sum of N1.5 million was deposited into the account by Tarfa.
Enwerem also said that on Nov. 30, 2015, a transfer of N980,000 and another transfer of N200,000 occurred in the account.
The witness said that on Dec. 30, 2015, a cash deposit of N500,000 occurred in the account which was also effected by Tarfa
He also said that on Jan. 8, 2016, there was another cash deposit of N500,000 done by the accused.
Justice Akintoye later adjourned the case till May 27 for continuation of trial.
