The police are finalising plans to arraign the suspended Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the Fuel Subsidy regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, for allegedly taking a bribe, THISDAY has learnt.

The planned arraignment, which could take place next week, follows the conclusion of investigation into the bribe-for-clearance scandal in which Lawan was purported to have collected $500,000 from the Chairman, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Mr. Femi Otedola, to doctor the report of the ad hoc committee.

Detectives who investigated the matter are said to have finished and submitted their report to the police Legal Department for advice on the next course of action.

THISDAY learnt that Lawan will be arraigned along with the clerk of the ad hoc committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, who reportedly collected $120,000 from Otedola as part of the advance for the bribe-for-clearance scandal that has rocked the House.

Lawan, during the investigation, had stridently denied receiving the bribe from Otedola to alter the report, saying he collected the $500,000 as evidence that Otedola was trying to pressurise him to remove his company from the list of companies that bought foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) without importing fuel.

However, several efforts to retrieve the money from him have failed as he stuck to his tale that he gave the money and an accompanying letter to the Chairman, House Committee on Narcotic Drugs and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba.

Jagaba, though, has rebutted Lawan’s claim that he wrote a letter in which he informed him (Jagaba) of attempts to bribe the ad hoc committee and attached the money to it.

It was learnt that the police investigative team, headed by Ali Amodu, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Task Force, during the investigation, was able to gather some incriminating evidence which would be used to prosecute Lawan and Emenalo in court.

A source told THISDAY that as at Tuesday, the team had finalised its investigation and had submitted a report to the Legal Department for advice.

The source said the Legal Department, in its response, recommended the trial of the duo.

According to the source, “Our team rounded off its investigation into Lawan's case on Tuesday and the Legal Department has advised that the lawmaker and the secretary should be prosecuted in the court of law.”

Although the source could not give a precise date on when both men will be charged to court, he said it will be next week.

When contacted for confirmation, Police spokesperson, Frank Mba, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), declined to speak on the matter, saying that he would only do that at "the right time."

Otedola, in his account of the incident, narrated how Lawan had approached him for bribe so that they could doctor the report in which they had accused Zenon Oil of buying foreign exchange from the CBN without importing fuel.

The ad hoc committee report, laid before the House on April 18, had listed Zenon Oil among 15 companies that collected foreign exchange without importing fuel.

The report recommended that Zenon Oil, which was said to have collected $232,975,385.13 and other marketers that obtained foreign exchange without importing petroleum products should be referred to the anti-corruption agencies to determine what they used their allocations for.

He said Lawan demanded $3 million from him to remove his company’s name from the list, but he refused to budge because he knew he had committed no crime.

However, when Lawan persisted, even telling him that he should pay up as some other oil marketers had done likewise to influence the committee, he demurred, adding that he later informed security agencies about the solicitation for bribe by the legislator.

According to him, the security agencies advised him to play along and offered to pay part of the money with the promise that he would pay the balance when his company’s name was removed from the report.

The security agencies, he added, gave him marked money which he gave to Lawan and Emenalo, without the duo knowing that the whole transaction was being recorded.
Otedola said during the sting, Lawan and Boniface collected a total of $620,000 in three instalments.

Lawan, when interrogated behind closed-doors by the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which also investigated the allegation, said what he collected was “money and not a bribe.”

Restating his earlier statement to the media, Lawan said he collected $500,000 from Otedola not as a bribe but as evidence to prove the attempt by the oil marketer to influence the report of the subsidy probe.

Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/police-set-to-prosecute-lawan-over-62m-bribe/121455/

Let's see if there will be another abracadabra .

no delays, please !

Wetin them dey wait for since,abeg make dem jail that criminal.......

The hunter is now the hunted!!.
Kudos to Dishonourable Fahcrook Lieman!!!!

I just hope Facrook does not bribe the judge handling the case. Make judge no go hide dollar for him wig as Facrook hide dollar for him cap o

This is getting so annoying. Why is our security agency takes Nigerian for granted. The same story over and over again. They are always set to arraign Lawan but no action taken. Enough of this boyish attitude from a serious matter as this. If you've enough evidence against him, why can't he be arraigned and stop telling 170million Nigerian stories day after day. We cannot take this from you people again is high time you people sit up and do the right thing as soon as possible. Right now the man is enjoying himself at the comfort of his home while you keep update us with inactive comment every time. Enough of this.

Lawan made it clear that he '' Collected money, not bribe'' Why the arraignment? When did COLLECTING MONEY become a crime? Nigeria, stop persecuting your citizens or be prepared for a massive brain drain!

Dts a gud 1! Meanwhyl lets nt jubilate yet,anytin kn hapn in dt so kal court of law,d judicairy myt jst twist ol dis their grama nd set d bastard free wen prosecuted!

It's this the norm or is this preferential treatment.Why talk so much? Just arraign the man and save us the "on your marks, get set, ready go" attitude you display when it comes to politicians.Time has being wasted here and evidence may being lost.Integrity of the witness may also be compromised.Do this thing already!!

They should make a poll for names nigerians are tired of hearing

Long over due...

im tired of this farouk lawan case,its high time all corrupt politicians are lined up and shot.

Umm let's see how this will turn... I pray it doesn't end up lime the trail of the first five subsidy criminals

will it end in a logical conclusion or political conclusion, let see

I thought we are done with the farouk episode.

Next

1supremo: Lawan made it clear that he '' Collected money, not bribe'' Why the arraignment? When did COLLECTING MONEY become a crime? Nigeria, stop persecuting your citizens or be prepared for a massive brain drain!

Money for what services rendered? BRIBERY is the name

Is anyone surprise the ripples in the Parliament on knowing that Facrook will be prosecuted ? The question is, where are the marked notes? And the answer is, its has been "shared".

This is mere acting. The case is heading nowhere

What happened to the house panel promise to call Otedola for open hearing on live tv? Dem no fit try am. He go burn all the rouges. Dem fear Otedola dem no fear Jona.

y is he still called "HONOURABLE"................ he's full of SH.IT

y is he still called "HONOURABLE"................ he's full of SH.IT

234GT: I just hope Facrook does not bribe the judge handling the case. Make judge no go hide dollar for him wig as Facrook hide dollar for him cap o

How can he bribe the Judge when he can`t even produce th€ market notes.
Anyways, this is good news for me.

1supremo: Lawan made it clear that he '' Collected money, not bribe'' Why the arraignment? When did COLLECTING MONEY become a crime? Nigeria, stop persecuting your citizens or be prepared for a massive brain drain!

guy, wetin you talk na true but how can someone you call an indegene collect that amount of money, when there is serious hunger in the street,

do you know that politicians are putting theirselves at risk bcause men are getting wicked and it will ..... Be ....

Lawan is a big disappointment to Nigeria state,if police should go on with his prosecution,the house by sept will impech the presidnt.

Let him be taken to the UK to be prosecuted pls, nothing is coming out of this in Nigeria.

This govt is just unique. The news of prosecutions against these criminals always gladdens my heart.
Everywhere we are hearing stories of probes, investigations, arraignments, prosecutions, refusal to grant bail because of criminal history etc.
Fresh air is just blowing through our anti corruption drive.
I know the uninformed will be quick to criticise and say that nothing will come out from the prosecutions.
But the informed will acknowledge that we now have a president who is courageous to prosecute and now redirect their criticisms towards the judiciary whose constitutional role it is to bring the criminals to justice.

Gennyz: Lawan is a big disappointment to Nigeria state,if police should go on with his prosecution,the house by sept will impech the presidnt.

The house can't impeach president. Where do olodos like you always pop up from self? NL is being overrun by infants.

BabaOlowo: Let him be taken to the UK to be prosecuted pls, nothing is coming out of this in Nigeria.

am sure this gon be last we gon hear on this case, where's Bankole? ibb? Alams etc?. They are playing nigerians like ludo, na ''do me i do u stylee''
Prosecute the subsidy guys and we'll expose u too.

edicolove:

The house can't impeach president. Where do olodos like you always pop up from self? NL is being overrun by infants.

Can't or Won't?

dedeike: This govt is just unique. The news of prosecutions against these criminals always gladdens my heart.
Everywhere we are hearing stories of probes, investigations, arraignments, prosecutions, refusal to grant bail because of criminal history etc.
Fresh air is just blowing through our anti corruption drive.
I know the uninformed will be quick to criticise and say that nothing will come out from the prosecutions.
But the informed will acknowledge that we now have a president who is courageous to prosecute and now redirect their criticisms towards the judiciary whose constitutional role it is to bring the criminals to justice.

which fresh air? As if he's even goin to be prosecuted. Tell gej to stop feeding himself with 1 billion, tell him to lead by example.