Bribery: Court Sentences Ex-Rep Member To Seven Years In Jail

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, Abuja, has convicted a former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, over $3million bribery case, and sentenced him to seven years for count 1, 7 years for count 2, and 5 years for count 3, to run concurrently.

The court also ordered for restitution of the collected sum of $500,000.

The court gave its decision in the case brought before it by the Federal Government against Lawan, a former chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy in 2012.

While delivering the judgment, Justice Angela Ataluka, stated that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

In Suit No. FHC/HC/CR/76/2013, a $3million bribery charge was filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Farouk Lawan for asking for $3million and obtaining the sum of $500,000 from Femi Otedola to remove his company from the list of indicted companies before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy.

Earlier, the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, had dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Farouk Lawan, against his trial involving allegation that he received $500,000 bribe while serving as the House of Representatives chairman of the ad-hoc committee investigating the fraud around the oil subsidy regime in 2012.

The trial judge, Angela Otaluka, dismissed Lawan’s objection in her judgment, yesterday.

The decision set the stage for the judge to consider the case on merit in the rest of the judgment.

Otaluka was the third judge to handle the trial that has spanned over nine years.

Two judges who earlier handled the matter could not see it to the end as the first one was elevated to the Court of Appeal bench and the second withdrew after Lawan accused her of bias.

Lawan was standing trial for allegedly demanding $3million bribe from billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, to remove his firms from the list of companies indicted for oil subsidy fraud by the House committee.

The defendant was said to have received $500,000 out of the $3million he demanded from Otedola.

Dismissing Lawan’s preliminary objection to the trial, yesterday, Otaluka said the argument of the defence lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, that Lawan was not a public officer going by the provisions of Section 2 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act, was untenable.

The judge held that a public officer was anyone who occupies a public office and who is remunerated with public funds as against Ozekhome’s argument that Lawan was a “mere political office holder.”

Lawan was the chairman of an ad-hoc committee set up by the House in 2012 to investigate massive petrol subsidy fraud.

The committee found some oil companies culpable of defrauding the Federal Government via spurious subsidy claims.

Zenon Petroleum and Gas Company, belonging to Otedola, was also found culpable.

The committee enjoyed wide public approval of the committee’s work, with Lawan appearing strict during public hearings on the matter.

He was later to be accused of receiving bribe to clear some companies.

Otedola’s encounter with the former lawmaker involving the exchange of about $500,000 was a “sting operation” to collect evidence, the State Security Service later told the court.

Lawan had denied the charges.