N96m bribery scandal probe hits dead end

Police investigators are in a dilemma over the whereabouts of the N96m bribe received by the Chairman of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy, Mr. Farouk Lawan, from the Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas, Mr. Femi Otedola.

Our correspondent gathered in Abuja that Lawan, who appeared at the Force Headquarters on Wednesday, insisted that he gave the money to the Chairman, Committee on Narcotics and Anti-corruption, Adams Jagaba.

Investigations showed that the police probe into the matter was compounded by the refusal of the State Security Service to provide the Special Task Force with the original copy of the video recording of what transpired between Lawan and Otedola.

The police STF had also not received details of marked money allegedly given to Lawan by Otedola.

Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported on June 23 that the police had written the Director-General of the SSS asking for the materials, but the latter had not released the items.

Our correspondents learnt that the STF was not making progress in the investigation because of its inability to know the whereabouts of the money.

This came to the fore on Wednesday as Jagaba and members of the committee on fuel subsidy again shunned the police invitation.

They were expected to appear before the STF on Wednesday, but only Lawan and the clerk of the ad hoc committee, Boniface Emenalo, turned up.

The police had last week invited Jagaba and the committee members. Jagaba was asked to bring the exhibit money.

The lawmaker declined, but however wrote the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, saying he did not collect any money from Lawan.

Sources said the STF confused about the next step to take, following the ‘dribbling‘ by Lawan and the refusal of other committee members and Jagaba to honour police invitation.

Other committee members that were invited had yet to appear before the police too.

A source said, “Investigators are confused and didn’t know what to do because Lawan kept dribbling them about the whereabouts of the money and it seems the STF is intimidated by the caliber of people involved in the matter.

“I think the fact that the Inspector-General of Police, is in acting capacity is an issue and that may be why the police are afraid to go tough with the lawmakers.

“The fact that the SSS has not been cooperating with us by releasing materials in its possession is not helping the matter. This investigation is heading for the rock.”

Meanwhile, Lawan has stated that Otedola offered to bribe the members of ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy with huge money from the Presidency so that the final report on subsidy payment could be watered down.

Lawan explained that the Zenon Oil and Gas chairman touted his close friendship with President Goodluck Jonathan and how he assisted him (Jonathan) in various ways when he was the Vice President.

According to him, Otedola threatened him to remove the names of his companies AP and Zenon Oil from the list of indicted firms, otherwise he would use his connections in the Presidency to ruin his future political ambition.

The diminutive lawmaker, in his statement to the STF investigating the N96m bribery scandal involving him, Boniface Emenalo, and other committee members claimed that Otedola pestered him to exonerate his companies and went as far as threatening to truncate his political ambition.

“Otedola told me he could serve as a link to collect money from the Presidency so that the report will be watered down. Having seen him as a friend, I consistently turned down such offers politely but firmly, but when I saw his desperation after the release of the report, I decided to play along and use his case as example of those who tried to compromise us (committee members),” Lawan wrote.

Police sources told our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday that Lawan claimed he visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, on April 27, 2012, where he reported Otedola’s attempts to induce him with money in order to destroy the fuel subsidy report.

http://www.punchng.com/news/n96m-bribery-scandal-probe-hits-dead-end/

Not a lawyer but I thought an accusation, and video "evidence" should be enough to allow this issue be taken to court!

Seems the issue has been used for the purpose it was set up for (to discredit the subsidy probe report) and thus is headed for the rocks!

I wonder when Nigerians will learn that they need to stop seeing ethnicity and religion and start fighting the right battles

Investigations showed that the police probe into the matter was compounded by the refusal of the State Security Service to provide the Special Task Force with the original copy of the video recording of what transpired between Lawan and Otedola.

Our correspondents learnt that the STF was not making progress in the investigation because of[b] its inability to know the whereabouts of the money.[/b]

This came to the fore on Wednesday as[b] Jagaba and members of the committee on fuel subsidy again shunned the police invitation.[/b]

“Otedola told me he could serve as a link to collect money from the Presidency so that the report will be watered down. Having seen him as a friend, I consistently turned down such offers politely but firmly, but when I saw his desperation after the release of the report, I decided to play along and use his case as example of those who tried to compromise us (committee members),” Lawan wrote.

The air is so murky.

So very murky.

nuclearboy: Not a lawyer but I thought an accusation, and video "evidence" should be enough to allow this issue be taken to court!

Seems the issue has been used for the purpose it was set up for (to discredit the subsidy probe report) and thus is headed for the rocks!

I wonder when Nigerians will learn that they need to stop seeing ethnicity and religion and start fighting the right battles

The major exhibit needed to nail Lawan revolves around the money. It's the irrefutable evidence of bribery. Accusations and video can not secure conviction because the narrative can easily be changed or contested. So far, available evidence is not enough to secure conviction and it will amount to a mere waste of resources to charge him to court.

However, if part of the money can be retrieved and/or SSS are willing to collaborate with police, a new perspective on the whole issue will surface. i.e. if the money is uniquely serialized as reported, it can be traced to different bank accounts. [if the money is not deposited in bank (untraceable) and can not be retrieved, a good lawyer will make a no case submission for him]

What's surprising is the reported reluctance of SSS to cooperate. If SSS indeed carried out the sting operation, why foot dragging in helping this investigation? Only one thing is certain as at this moment, the subsidy probe report is not credible, now worthless and non implementable.

We cannot be made joke of in this matter,if he did not set out to collect the money offered him and his cronies,when he collected the bribe,he shouldn't have hidden it in his pocket and the police would have swooped on Otedola immediately to arrest him for collecting bribe,why hide it in his cap? Why go to the house and move a motion for the removal of the indicted companies and still keep quiet? He discredited himself and of there should be no foot dragging in this matter,the law enforcement agencies handling this should cooperate wit each other and stop this supremacy war. We must see the end of the saga.

Dedi boodi, dedi boodi, dedi boodi geti asident yeepa! Investiagtion dead on arrival, no more than I expected

So much dejavu on action of d PDP govt. lately, I knew it's gonna end dis way. I said it b4, d case is sold out no doubt. SMH

Me jus dey sit-down look o, na wen be d release date of d nxt season.. I doubt if dis show dey plan end anytym soon buh 1 suretin abt dis serial be-say, both actor n boss no dey die, dem go walk scot-free *mtcheew* unto-d-nxt-station jor

Nothing will come out frm it,it's part of d game it will die like others no b Nigeria we b,no b God again,

i still maintain that farouk lawan isnt so stupid as to try to etort money from a man like femi otedola who is connected in the highest places.the last hasnt been heard

Faruok Lawan if you know you did not want to collect the bribe
from the briber why did you hide the money under your cap, and
acting like a criminal. My advice to you is this! face the
panel ant don't rope GEJ into this mess, you Boko's are all
the same.

Something is really going on here, the man he claimed to have given the money to is denying it, and everyone he claimed he reported to( the IG and EFCC boss) are not in agreement with that, so he is not telling us the truth, he should save himself the stress and say the truth rather than involving the presidency with these. If his hands are clean, he would have written a special report on this , or tabled it to the floor of the house. He collected the bribe and deleted the companies name from the report, my people that says it all.

Nigeria system has been "farouked". One day go be one day, those weh de steal money for government, this is Jonathan's work to protect his thiefs madueke, farouk and co.

Superg_win: Me jus dey sit-down look o, na wen be d release date of d nxt season.. I doubt if dis show dey plan end anytym soon buh 1 suretin abt dis serial be-say, both actor n boss no dey die, dem go walk scot-free *mtcheew* unto-d-nxt-station jor

Northern forces in action.

For me i think all this conspiracy have all been planned by dis cabals, starting from the day the committe was set up. And their(cabals) aim is to discredit the committe's report n they av acheived that. If the SSS truly planned a sting with Otedola the clip should out by now, but i think Otedola was bluffing n Farouk fell for it. Truly our NASS is corrupt but their source of corruption are this big men n wat we could do is to tackle d source. Thank you.

I just wonder why the sss did not catch Farouk in the act. I'm think both of them are guilty and are just trying to see who goes down first.

Very controversial issue ... Who to believe?

How many tentacles dis story get sef? Shouldn't lawan b removed for even agreeing to collect bribe at first. We just dey deceive ourself for d country. Padi padi , arrangee money

It is now clear that Nigeria as it is has no future. I never thought the day would come when I would prefer a military government. Who knows, Nigeria might just be lucky to have a benevolent dictator.

All these pieces of poo have to be liquidated and start on a clean sheet.

Enough of this idiotic docility.

This will end as others.People should not expect more.

I know this alleged bribery will not amount to any jail sentence and infact, don't be surprised if you see both of them at party shaking hands. this is what Nigeria become. Except we kick all these thieves out, we can't move forward.
Now i know what OBJ meant when he accused all members of house of rep of being rougues and thieves. he knows them better and he wouldn't just say that if he didnt see anything.

$620,000 Enters Most Wanted List :::: THE State Security Service (SSS) has placed the $620,000 bribe money taken by Farouk Lawan on the most wanted list. This is the first time that money instead of a criminal is placed on the list. Anyone who gives useful information on its whereabouts would be entitled to one-week special SSS protection by Ms SSS herself, Marilyn Ogar.

Meanwhile, a trends analyst has suggested three paths Farouk can take to freedom and one path the police can take.

For Farouk:

•Don’t release the money. When they charge you to court, use $50,000 from it and bribe the judge. Then live happily ever after in Nigeria. I repeat: In Nigeria. If you go to Dubai or London, you’re on your own.

•Have faith that the case will die, and then use the money afterwards to pursue your 2015 Kano governorship campaign. After all, a governor from the South East won his election even though he was in police custody on Election Day.

•Nigerians love entertainment. Win back their heart by doing another reality show just like the subsidy probe you conducted. Liaise with DSTV and do a show titled: Who’s gat da dollars?

For the police, just one advice: Partner with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to detain Farouk Lawan and give him the Baba Suwe treatment. Inspect his faeces because it is only logical that eating the money raw is the next step to placing it on his head as he’s alleged to have done. ~Stanley Azuakola

there was no sting in the first place.
the sss do not have any video at all in the second place.
its all crap, we know these demons.

I'm getting sick of all this drama, what other evidence do they need. If it is an ordinary nigerian, his ass would be in kirikiri by now without any evidence or charge. If they want to throw the case away they should do that, and stop telling us stories and wasting our time. We are already used to it. Abeg make person hear word.

Verily Verily I say unto thee,BLEESED are those that expect nothing for they shall not be dissapointed.

You guys need to think deep about this issue.
This money is probably being shared with some other thieves like him.
These guys steal money every day, and know many other acts of stealing by their fellow thieves including the president.
Behind the scenes, he would already have started threatening to expose even bigger stealing by more highly placed individuals if they don't help him out.

These guys are already putting pressure on the security services to soft-pedal. He who pays the piper dictates the tune. SSS will be powerless unless the presidency is strongly behind them. If not, they can't and won't do anything. Jonathan himself may be afraid that things could get out of hand, leading to further exposure of himself and his cronies.

Two possible things will happen in this case :

1. Farouk is found not guilty, because of lack of evidence
2. Farouk is found guilty but given a small 'punishment' to pacify Nigerians(unlikely).

The problem we have in Nigeria is that the presidency is corrupt; there is no way a weak and corrupt president can fight the king-pins of corruption we have in this country. Unfortunately, Jonathan looks innocent, and Nigerians gullibly believed he is genuine and clean. Why is he unable to declare his assets?

The only solution to our problems is if we join hands to bring in a strong genuine person as our president. All the ethnic idiocy we think and talk about will get us nowhere. I don't care who this person is - Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba,Ibiobios, Tapa, Kanuri etc- it does not matter!

Nigerians, wake up!

I thought Lawan would have been shot by now. Please do so we can get our $20billion back and send the bigger thieves to jail. It is more important than this $620k Otedola and Jona's noise.

Something tells me the STF wants to tarnish the video evidence against farouk.was it not the same STF that allowed farouk to sneak out of their cell when he was first apprehended ? SSS should prosecute lawan if it had sufficicent evidence to do so.