Detectives at the Police headquarters investigating
the $620, 000 oil subsidy bribe money collected by
erstwhile chairman of the House of Representatives
Subsidy Probe Panel, Hon. Farouk Lawan from oil
magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, at the weekend
disclosed to Vanguard that the decision of the Police
not to stand in the way of the embattled Farouk
travelling out of the country on religious grounds,
followed his keeping to the terms of his bail
conditions.
Aside reporting to the Police Special Task Force on two
times daily basis, or whenever his presence was needed to
shed more light on some issues, Farouk Lawan is said to
have wept in one instance when it dawned on him that he
had been abandoned by his colleagues to swim alone and
was neck deep in the bribery allegation and that it will take
close to a miracle to escape the consequences.
When the issue of his travelling for pilgrimage 'Umrah' came
up, the authorities studied his conduct and analyzed his
willingness to cooperate with the bribery investigation. In
most cases, all the addresses, information needed from
him were provided and were found to be true; the only
exception being that he regretted that his colleagues in the
house, disappointed him when the $620, 000 which he
claimed he kept in the house was not forthcoming.
It was gathered however that a specific time frame within
which the embattled former chairman would perform his
religious obligation and return to the country, was agreed
and signed, and failure to keep to the agreement would lead
to 'certain actions', the source said.
Vanguard was made to understand that up until when the
investigation was concluded last week and the report
submitted to the Attorney-General's office for legal advice,
Farouk had continued to insist that his colleagues would
bring the money to him to hand over to the police.
Consequently, Hon. Farouk Lawan who has been in the eye
of the storm over the bribery allegation, is set to face a 15
count charge of conspiracy, bribery, corruption, and lying
under oath among others.
Source...www.naij.com