Former Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Mr. Farouk Lawan
It has been revealed that former Chairman, House of Representatives
Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Mr. Farouk Lawan, lied that he
collected $500,000 bribe from billionaire businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola,
as part of a sting operation in 2012.
The revelation was made by the Commissioner of Police, Legal
Services, David Igbodo, who said this in evidence while testifying as
the second prosecution witness in Lawan’s ongoing trial on bribery
charges before the court, said it was rather the Otedola’s version of
the claim of sting operation that was genuine.
The police on Tuesday told a High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory in Lugbe, Abuja, that there was no truth in the claim by
Lawan.
Lawan is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and
other related offences Commission for allegedly collecting $500,000 out
of the $3m bribe he requested from Otedola.
He is said to have accepted the bribe in exchange for the removal
of Otedola’s company’s name, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd. from the list
of firms indicted by the House committee for allegedly abusing the fuel
subsidy regime in 2012.
Revealing details how Lawan collected the money for his own selfish
means, Igbodo, who is also an Investigating Police Officer in the
Special Investigation Unit of the Office of the Inspector-General of
Police, said investigation showed that Lawan was through the genuine
sting operation caught on video while accepting the $500,000 bribe at
Otedola’s home on April 24, 2012.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the lead prosecuting
counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), said the ex-lawmaker allegedly
concocted the claim that he accepted the money from Otedola to prove the
business man’s attempt to induce him and other members of the House
Committee as an afterthought.
Igbodo testified that the accused only came about the narration of a
sting operation after the then Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Aminu Tambuwal (now Governor of Sokoto State), confronted him (Lawan)
with a clip of Otedola’s sting operation.
He said, “Your lordship, we made attempt and did investigate those claims, and we found them to be a fallacy and indeed an afterthought.
“He was asked to produce his telephone number to prove those
chains of calls to enable the police to investigate and probably contact
the network provider, he was evasive.
“We also tried to get evidence to prove his claim, that
$250,000 was given to him at Protea Hotel, by Femi Otedola, there was no
evidence to prove that
“Other than that incontrovertible evidence of him collecting
$500,000 from Femi Otedola on April 24, 2012. That was the evidence we
have.”
He also said Lawan reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission that there were attempts by some oil marketers to induce him.
Igbodo said Lawan only reported to the then EFCC Chairman, Mr.
Ibrahim Lamorde, after he collected the $500,000 from Otedola, but never
mentioned it in his report to the anti-graft agency.
Justice Angela Otaluka adjourned the trial till Wednesday.
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