A Lagos High Court Sitting in the Ikeja area has ordered a suspended judge at the Federal High Court, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, to face trial for alleged corruption.
Justice Sherifat Solebo gave the order on Monday while ruling on the case of allegations of corruption preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Yunusa was arraigned by the anti-graft agency on four counts bordering on an attempted perversion of the course of justice and corruption by a public official.
He was arraigned in January 2017 alongside Esther Agbo, a staff of the law chambers of Mr. Rickey Tarfa.
Agbo, on the other hand, was charged with an offence of offering gratification to a public official. The duo, however, denied the charges.
In the ruling which lasted for about two hours on Monday, Justice Solebo held that the National Judicial Council (NJC) had already exercised disciplinary action against the judge and the coast was, therefore, clear for him to face his trial.
She also dismissed the preliminary objections of the second defendant, Agbo and adjourned the case till June 11, 13 and 14 for trial.
On March 9, counsel to the suspended judge, Robert Clarke, had in a preliminary objection argued that his client had been absolved by the NJC of the particular charges before the court.
He consequently urged the court to quash the charges, but the EFCC through its counsel, Wahab Shittu, opposed this line of argument.
The prosecution insisted that part of the allegations against the defendant was unprofessional misconduct, interference with the cause of justice, and communication on a suit pending before him.
He further maintained that Justice Yunusa was not entitled to judicial immunity. Read more<<<<<
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