MR INTERGRITY'S $500,000 BRIBERY STING OPERATION FALSE CLAIM
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 the then Chairman, House of
Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Mr. Farouk Lawan, that he
collected $500,000 bribe from billionaire businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola,
as part of a sting operation in 2012.
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
Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission is
prosecuting Lawan for allegedly “corruptly” collecting $500,000 out of the $3m
bribe he requested from Otedola.
Lawan
was accused of accepting 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.
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.
MR INTERGRITY'S $500,000 BRIBERY STING OPERATION FALSE CLAIM
Reviewed by adeyemo nathaniel
on
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
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