The Nation Newspaper

Tag: submission

  • Alleged perversion of course of justice: Ricky Tarfa makes no-case submission

    Alleged perversion of course of justice: Ricky Tarfa makes no-case submission

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Rickey Tarfa, standing trial over alleged gratification and attempt to pervert the course of justice has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere that he has no case to answer.

    At the resume of proceedings of his trial yesterday before Justice Adedayo Akintoye, Tarfa, through his counsel, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), told the court that he has filed a no-case submission.

    Owonikoko said he filed on November 9, to say that the defendant has no case to answer.

    The learned silk stated that the application is supported with an affidavit and a written address and that the prosecution has been duly served.

    He said: “At the last adjourned date, the prosecution closed their case. Upon the view of the prosecution, our response in this case is a no-case submission. That will suffice in this case.”

    Owonikoko, therefore, urged the court to discharge the defendant on the ground that there is no-case to answer.

    “I urge your lordship to discharge the defendant on the view that there is no case to answer.”

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on October 23 closed its case against the defendant after calling six witnesses, who testified against Rickey Tarfa in a trial, which began in March, 2016.

    EFCC prosecuting counsel Mr. Nnemeka Omewa confirmed the service of the no-case submission application on them by the defence.

    He, however, said they were yet to file a reply.

    “We were served late last Friday with a 54 paragraphs of  a no-case submission. We are still going through them and we have not been able to respond to the no-case submission. We shall be asking for a short adjournment to enable us respond.”

    Justice Adedayo Akintoye adjourned to December 12, for hearing of the application.

    The EFCC had first arraigned Tarfa on March 9, 2016 on a 27-count charge, bordering on offering of gratification to some judges and perversion of the course of justice.

    The anti-graft agency had alleged that Tarfa offered N5.3 million gratification to a judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, to “compromise” the judge.

    The agency claimed that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches to the judge between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.

    The commission alleged that the SAN lied about his age and failed to declare his assets to the commission upon his arrest on February 5, 2015.

    The offences contravened Section 64 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    But Tarfa pleaded not guilty.

    He subsequently sought to quash the charges on the premise that they were incompetent.

    Justice Akintoye dismissed his application consequent upon which Tarfa appealed the court’s decision.

    But the upper court, in a ruling, ordered Tarfa back to the High Court for trial in respect of the charges preferred against him by the EFCC.

  • AFRIMA scores high entries as submission closes

    AFRIMA scores high entries as submission closes

    Nearly 3, 000 African music professionals have submitted entries to the International Committee of the 2016 All African Music Awards, AFRIMA, tagged AFRIMA 3.0.

    Submission of entries which is open to African music artistes, music professionals and other stakeholders living on the continent and in the Diaspora, commenced on May 30 and closed on July 30 with 2,714 entries received. The main awards ceremony holds from November 4 to November 6, 2016.

    Expressing satisfaction at the number of entries submitted, the President and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mike Dada declared that AFRIMA 3.0 took off on a high note with the unveiling of the awards calendar of activities during a joint cultural conference with the African Union Commission, AUC, held in Banjul, Gambia between May 24 and May 25, 2016.

    “The passion to celebrate Africa’s cultural uniqueness through her talents will continue to build until it peaks during the grand awards ceremony in November,” Mike Dada said.

    “I am happy about the high votes recorded this year which is an improvement on the number of entries submitted in 2015. The digitalised screening of entries by the International Jury of AFRIMA will commence soon after. This adjudication exercise will culminate in the announcement of AFRIMA 2016 Nominees List on a day to follow.”

    Meanwhile, the 13-person International Jury of AFRIMA which represents the five regions of Africa, the Diaspora and the AUC are expected to enter into seven-day seclusion for the crucial responsibility of screening, categorising, assessing and selecting nominees from the body of works submitted for award consideration.

    Concluding the adjudication process will be the World Media Announcement of the 2016 AFRIMA Nominees List in all 34 categories.

    In partnership with the African Union Commission, AUC, the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, is a music and cultural initiative developed to celebrate, reward and showcase the rich musical heritage of Africa, stimulate conversations among Africans and between Africa.

     

  • Court rejects INEC workers on-case submission

    Justice A.A. Aderemi of an Ibadan High Court has rejected a no case submission filed by four workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against charges of conspiracy and unlawful revision of voters register bought against them by the Oyo State Government.

    The judge fixed June 10 for the defendants to open their defence.

    The defendants are Osunlola Akinyinka, who was the head of Information Communication Technology (ICT) unit of the INEC in Ibadan, Olufemi Samuel, Dauda Oladeji and Salami Adetola.

    They were arraigned on a two count charge after being caught and arrested in a hotel room at Davies Hotel, Bodija, Ibadan based on a tip off by members of the public.

    They were allegedly caught with six DDC machines, a laptop, 11 G-Glo chargers and 11 external discs belonging to INEC which were tagged Exhibits E-E6 and F-F10 by the court.

    In a ruling on the application of the defendants, the trial judge said “I hold that the prosecution has made out a prima facie case requiring at least some explanation from the accused persons. The accused persons application for a no case submission fails and it is hereby dismissed” .

    The prosecution through its counsel, Shuaib Alaran had called four witnesses, three of whom are staff of INEC and the Investigating Police Officer.

    At the end of the prosecution’s case, the defence through its counsel, Rotimi Alli filed a no case submission, stating that the prosecution failed to establish the commission of the crime for which the defendants were charged.

    He added that the prosecution has not through its evidence before the court established any criminal offence by the defendants to warrant them calling evidence in defence of the said charge

    The court, however, after being mindful of the fact that it cannot convict at that stage, held that the defendants has a case to answer.

    “The accused persons are hereby called upon to enter into their defence. This is the ruling of the court in respect of this application,” the judge ruled.

  • Reps advocate Sept 30 deadline for budget submission

    Reps advocate Sept 30 deadline for budget submission

    Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research have called for an amendment of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution to make it mandatory for the President to submit budget proposals by September 30.

    At the end of a strategic session on Monday in Calabar, Cross River State, which sought an Act to set up a National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO), Committee Chairman Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele said it was imperative to give a deadline of September 30 to allow early passage of budgets.

    The amendment, among others, will be contained in the proposed NABRO Bill facilitated by the Policy and Legal Centre in collaboration with the committee and supported by the British Department for International Development.

    He said: “We have our constitution in Section 81 that says Mr. President in not later than the last day of the current year must present to the National Assembly, the budget proposal for the next fiscal year. In other words, if President Goodluck Jonathan does not present the budget until December 31, he has not committed any offence.

    “If you send the proposal by December, you have a situation where the National Assembly will not pass it until March or April, and what kind of budget will you implement from May? This partly explains why we do not have adequate budget performance.”

    Bamidele said the amendment, among others, would help address inadequate budget performance as currently experienced in the country.

    Said he: “The Bill seeks to put in place a framework where from the beginning when budget is passed to the end, there will be monitoring and greater probity and accountability on the part of those implementing the budget and its beneficiaries. Part of such responsibilities will ensure a quarterly report on budget performance.”

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the session, participants, including members of the civil society organisations, observed that the NABRO Bill has become imperative to enable the legislative arm of the government discharge its budgetary responsibility.

    The Executive Secretary of the Policy and Legislative Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Mr. Clement Nwankwo, said the benefits of NABRO would eliminate executive information monopoly, simplify budget complexities, promote transparency and enhance credibility of the budget process.

    The lawmakers resolved to pass the NABRO Bill in the current legislative year.