The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday insisted that Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN) falsified his age in an official statement he made at the commission’s Ikoyi, Lagos office last February 5.
Prosecution witness Tosin Owobo testified yesterday before Justice A. A. Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, that what Tarfa declared on the age declaration form he filled differed from what he declared in other official documents.
Tarfa is standing trial on a 27-count charge bordering on offering of gratification to a public officer, failure to declare assets and making a false statement of age.
According to the charge, the lawyer allegedly made the false statement on February 5, to one of the agency’s senior detectives, Usman Zakari, by claiming that he was 43 years’ old.
Owobo, an EFCC operative, stated during cross examination that while investigating Tarfa, the anti- graft agency requested for information on his account from three banks: Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Zenith and Fidelity banks.
He said GTB’s response indicated that Tarfa was born on February 23, 1962, making him 54 years old, which corresponded with the age on his International Passport, but that, according to Tarfa’s statement made before the commission, he was 43.
In furtherance of the commission’s claim that the lawyer offered gratification to a public officer the witness revealed two payment made in Tarfa’s domicilary GTB account.
Owobo said the defendant paid a cash sum of $10,000 on November 21, 2013 and another cash deposit of $10,000 into the same account last January 29.
Justice Akintoye adjourned the matter till today for continuation of trial.
At the last adjourned date on June 28, Owobo, led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, alleged that Tarfa paid money into the bank accounts of two Federal High Court judges.