THE messy bribery scandal involving a member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, and owner of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited, Femi Otedola, took an interesting twist on Monday.

First, The PUNCH learnt early yesterday that the bribery video might be aired on national television anytime soon. Our correspodents gathered that six video tapes and 16 audio tapes were likely to be made available to major television networks in the coming days. However, our correspondents could not confirm if the tapes were to be released by the State Security Service or one of the parties to the dispute.

Also on Monday, one of the audio clips of the‘transaction was played by a Lagos-based independent Channels Television.

The tape,which ran for about two minutes, contained a conversation believed to be between Otedola and Lawan.

In the tape, a voice believed to be Otedola’s was heard discussing the venue, where the bribe money would be given to Lawan. The audio clip apparently indicated the duo was already in the middle of a conversation before the tape started rolling. It also indicated that one ‘TJ’ perhaps served as a go-between for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.

From the conversation too, it could be deduced that the first instalment of the $620,000 allegedly paid Lawan by Otedola was delivered at an airport though the name of the airport remained unknown.

It was also not clear who released the audio clip to the television station.

Reacting in Abuja on Monday, Lawan denounced the audio tape recording, adding that it was manipulated.

Lawan, who spoke through one of his lawyers, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), challenged Otedola to release the complete audio and visual recordings without editing them. He described the audio tape as being “funny, phoney, satanic and manipulated.”

A statement signed by the counsel reads in part, “We are counsel to Mr Farouk Lawan. He has drawn our attention to an audio visual piece of news aired on Channels Television which purported to be a conversation between Mr Femi Otedola and our client, Mr. Farouk Lawan.

“We have listened to and watched the audio with our client, Mr. Farouk Lawan.

“On his instructions, we hereby state that the audio is infertile, vague, puerile and inadmissible in evidence by any court of law or Tribunal.

“One simple question here: where is the visual of the audio?”

Lawan also challenged Otedola, or the Police or the SSS to produce this complete audio video, unedited and undoctored.

He said Otedola had the opportunity of doing this through Channels TV, but regretted that the oil magnate did not do this.

“He will certainly require forensic evidence to prove this to be true in this highly technologised world of manipulative evidence that can easily turn a man into a woman,” the statement says.

Lawan challenged Otedola to air the entire audio and also the complete video for Nigerians to see the setting and the environment in which the alleged bribe took place.

He said this would contain the complete conversation between the two of them. He said the entire footage of the released audio was “devilish, satanic, luciferous, mischievous and completely taken out of context.”

Even at that, he insisted that the audio showed that it was Otedola, who offered to pay the balance of the alleged bribe of 2.5 million US dollars and not that Lawan demanded it.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges said on Monday that it would not allow Otedola to dictate how it should conduct its proceedings.

The panel insisted that its sittings with the key actors involved in the $620, 000 bribery allegation must be held behind closed doors.

There were speculations on Monday that Otedola, who is due to appear before the panel on Tuesday (today), had given a condition to honour the invitation only if the proceedings would be broadcast live.

Chairman of the committee, Mr. Gambo Musa, told The PUNCH that Otedola had neither reached him nor any member of the panel to give a condition.

N96m telephone conversation

OTEDOLA: How are you sir? I don’t want to bring it (money) to my house.

LAWAN: Your house?

OTEDOLA: No, I don’t want to bring it to my house. It’s a lot of money.

LAWAN: Oh yes. So where, because I’m hastening to the…

You are in the airport now?

OTEDOLA: Yes. At the airport; in an aircraft.

LAWAN: And before they can come over now… unless I send somebody to the airport. I can’t leave by the time they come; I will be in the chambers. I have a lot of things to do myself.

OTEDOLA: Is there anybody you trust that I can give it to? Or maybe I should just postpone my travelling to China till tomorrow?

LAWAN: No, no, no. in fact I will arrange with someone. Let me give you his number.

OTEDOLA: Ok.

LAWAN: His number is 080…

OTEDOLA: Hold on, hold on, hold on.

LAWAN: 08036513355

OTEDOLA: What is the name?

LAWAN: TJ.

OTEDOLA: Teezay?

LAWAN: No, TJ.

FEMI: Ok, so I will give him the balance. That is $2.5m.

LAWAN: That is right. Just hold on. I am calling him to be sure his phone is through.

OTEDOLA: Where will I meet him?

LAWAN: Hold on, hold on, just hold on, just hold on.

Don’t quick send…..


http://www.punchng.com/news/lawan-bribery-video-to-be-shown-on-national-tv/

Do we really have a President or Leader in this Country? who should call the shot! Leaders make history. In this case a very negative history. JONA wakeup from slumber, be a man for you can only die once dont be a coward, afriad of what they will say and be a leader my friend. Dont let people and those around you rubbish you and your reign… as being the worst leader Nigeria has produced.

Nawa o!

wales: Do we really have a President or Leader in this Country? who should call the shot! Leaders make history. In this case a very negative history. JONA wakeup from slumber, be a man for you can only die once dont be a coward, afriad of what they will say and be a leader my friend. Dont let people and those around you rubbish you and your reign… as being the worst leader Nigeria has produced.

wetin concern Gej with dis one again? Are you this daft you just have to call the president's name in everything even when ur mother commits adultery? Pls let the law enforcement agencies do their work and leave the president out of it

warrior01:
wetin concern Gej with dis one again? Are you this daft you just have to call the president's name in everything even when ur mother commits adultery? Pls let the law enforcement agencies do their work and leave the president out of it

Yes he concerns him, somebody claimed he gave the other a bribe and the other agreed he collected it and they are both outside there still speaking and boasting yet you asked if it concerns GEJ, you said we should leave security operatives to do there job, don't you people always shout about GEJ is the C in C so who should we accuse whenever they are found wanting. Indeed A journey without shoes

right now i'm officially tired of all this poo poo story of bribe, otedola and lawan. what about the subsidy probe? has it been swept under the carpet? is Otedola the only marketer that was indicted by the probe? just overflogging a dead horse here. nonsense!

Otedola!!

I am loving this man..

Why is the house of Reps holding its hearing behind close doors?!

What are they trying to hide?

They had no problems embarassing Onyuike Okereke on National T.V during the Capital Market hearing..

They had no problems embarassing and humiliating M.D's and Heads of Companies that where implicated in the Oil subsidy scandal..

They had no problems putting up a show during the Police pension hearings..

Why hide this one?!

Are these thieves really calling us fools?! I guess they are..

Otedola should not appear before that house or he should make the video public and let us be the judge..

Lawan is going down..

This case of bribery has gone too far,let both of them be put in jail cos one is saying the truth and the other is calling it blackmail.who do we believe now.The jumbo pay when you dey collect 4 national assembly no do u,men are never satisfied

These people are taking Nigerians as fools. It is obvious that Odetola is releasing portions of the audio recording which favour his position. We must not rush to judgement until we've seen the complete unedited video and heard the complete audio recording. Even the complete video will be unreliable since Odetola seems to be its recorder and guardian.

No sane court of law would admit the video as evidence if the SSS cannot document its custody from the time it was recorded to the time it will be presented in court, if it ever gets presented. By leaking the audio tape, they have essentially exonerated Farouk. The evidence has been tainted and will be inadmissible. This is equivalent to a crime lab mishandling blood stains and then presenting lad reports after glaring evidence of screwed up custody of the said sample. Such action would typically render the said lab report rightfully inadmissible.

GEJ needs to dissociate himself from Odetola until Odetola clears him name. Odetola does not belong in GEJ's economic team at this point in time.

Make una wait o......
Are both the giver and the take of bribe not both guilty??

Jail dem all "only if they have the boldness to do so

i weep for my country 9igeria..........tears

brokoto: right now i'm officially tired of all this poo poo story of bribe, otedola and lawan. what about the subsidy probe? has it been swept under the carpet? is Otedola the only marketer that was indicted by the probe? just overflogging a dead horse here. nonsense!

What probe?!

Are you high?!

So you still believe in the credibility of that report?!

Now if Otedola paid 650'K Usd to Lawan, imagine how many other millions of dollars changed hands that we do not know about..

No time for more hearings.. We either cut our losses and move on.. or.. Call in a credible firm like KPMG or any other to audit the subsidy regime.. Arrest and prosecute all the parties indicted within the NNPC and Customs.. Then watch them sing like a birb and call names.. All these hearing tis and Commitee that is just for show..

The Attorney General of the federation and the Police should be the ones in charge here not the bloody houseof Reps.. They have ABSOLUTELY ZERO jurisdiction in this matter.. Their hearing na for their pocket.. their finding are inadmissible in court!!

WE HAVE TO BE SINCERE LAWAN COLLECTED THIS MONEY OTEDOLA IS A BIGER BOY.HE CAN NOT LIE AGAINST A SENATOR, (FOR WHAT)GO AND INTERVIEW DINA MALAYE ABOUT LAWAN ALSO REMEMBER THIS GUY' FATHER OTEDOLA WAS THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE HE HAS MAKE A PERSONAL DONATION OF ONE BILLION NAIRA TO PDP B4 . HE KNOWS THE DOS AND DON'T OF LAW

olusola200: WE HAVE TO BE SINCERE LAWAN COLLECTED THIS MONEY [size=14pt]OTEDOLA IS A BIGER BOY.HE CAN NOT LIE AGAINST A SENATOR[/size], (FOR WHAT)GO AND INTERVIEW DINA MALAYE ABOUT LAWAN ALSO REMEMBER THIS GUY' FATHER OTEDOLA WAS THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE HE HAS MAKE A PERSONAL DONATION OF ONE BILLION NAIRA TO PDP B4 . HE KNOWS THE DOS AND DON'T OF LAW

Gerrout of hia!!

Ileke-IdI:



Gerrout of hia!!

I would think as a yoruba girl, you would be supporting your borther?

2gbasky22: Make una wait o......
Are both the giver and the take of bribe not both guilty??

Jail dem all "only if they have the boldness to do so

i weep for my country 9igeria..........tears

The giver claimed he did it to "trap" the Legislator. The legislator claimed he "reported" the issue to the "relevant authority" after it happened.

Spirit of Okija:

I would think as a yoruba girl, you would be supporting your borther?

I don't do blind support because of ethnicity. Are you guilty of that crime?

The story has been S.H.A.D.Y from the beginning.

Ileke-IdI:
They said they had digital video, now they want to give us telephone chat (audio video) ?

BS!!

Me and my mom's vice sounds 90% alike, I can't believe that poo telephone chat jor.


And why did it take them this long? Dem don find pesin wey go play Lawan? Awon oloshi, e no go better for all these demons in power.

I knew you wouldnt . Dont worry, the video will soon be out

Spirit of Okija:

What probe?!

Are you high?!

So you still believe in the credibility of that report?!

Now if Otedola paid 650'K Usd to Lawan, imagine how many other millions of dollars changed hands that we do not know about..

No time for more hearings.. We either cut our losses and move on.. or.. Call in a credible firm like KPMG or any other to audit the subsidy regime.. Arrest and prosecute all the parties indicted within the NNPC and Customs.. Then watch them sing like a birb and call names.. All these hearing tis and Commitee that is just for show..

The Attorney General of the federation and the Police should be the ones in charge here not the bloody houseof Reps.. They have ABSOLUTELY ZERO jurisdiction in this matter.. Their hearing na for their pocket.. their finding are inadmissible in court!!

my point actually is that this singular issue of Otedola vs Lawan has overshadowed the whole subsidy matter. looks like they are just runing around in circles. . .

brokoto: my point actually is that this singular issue of Otedola vs Lawan has overshadowed the whole subsidy matter. looks like they are just runing around in circles. . .

I feel you (No homo)..

However, I dont think another hearing is appropiate.. Time to call in top auditing firms like KPMG and Alexander Forbes to find out the truth..

“On his instructions, we hereby state that the
audio is infertile, vague, puerile and inadmissible
in evidence by any court of law or Tribuna.
So na Farood dey teach the liars wetin dem go do now. Let them be implicating themselves, when the video recording is showed, we will hear which other tune they would play.

brokoto: my point actually is that this singular issue of [size=28pt]Otedola vs Lawan has overshadowed the whole subsidy matter.[/size] looks like they are just runing around in circles. . .

Na so we see am o. . . .

Atheist:-D:


I knew you wouldnt . Dont worry, the video will soon be out

They should hurry up, I'm growing grey hair form waiting.

Spirit of Okija:


I feel you (No homo)..

However, I dont think another hearing is appropiate.. Time to call in top auditing firms like KPMG and Alexander Forbes to find out the truth..

My thoughts exactly. However KPMG did an audit a year back. The report was quickly shelved by the powers that be. It highlighted all this fraud and more.

The problem is once the report is done it will be passed on to the Federal Govt, most likely Diezani. Then we will never get to hear about it.

What a national drama! I will reserve my comment until i watch the video.

I thought they claimed initially that Lawan was seen on video stuffing his hat with money after collecting it from otedolas house now its on an aircraft...We need to see the video

reemix123: I thought they claimed initially that Lawan was seen on video stuffing his hat with money after collecting it from otedolas house now its on an aircraft...We need to see the video

Shouldnt you be in school?

if dem like make dem release am for dvd,na today,all dis one were dem dey do na play,in two months we no go hear about dis case again.

What a smelling,sh.Ity country

olusola200: WE HAVE TO BE SINCERE LAWAN COLLECTED THIS MONEY OTEDOLA IS A BIGER BOY.HE CAN NOT LIE AGAINST A SENATOR, (FOR WHAT)GO AND INTERVIEW DINA MALAYE ABOUT LAWAN ALSO REMEMBER THIS GUY' FATHER OTEDOLA WAS THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE HE HAS MAKE A PERSONAL DONATION OF ONE BILLION NAIRA TO PDP B4 . HE KNOWS THE DOS AND DON'T OF LAW

U must be on an expired drugs

olusola200: WE HAVE TO BE SINCERE LAWAN COLLECTED THIS MONEY OTEDOLA IS A BIGER BOY.HE CAN NOT LIE AGAINST A SENATOR, (FOR WHAT)GO AND INTERVIEW DINA MALAYE ABOUT LAWAN ALSO REMEMBER THIS GUY' FATHER OTEDOLA WAS THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE HE HAS MAKE A PERSONAL DONATION OF ONE BILLION NAIRA TO PDP B4 . HE KNOWS THE DOS AND DON'T OF LAW

Ileke-IdI:


Gerrout of hia!!

Spirit of Okija:

I would think as a yoruba girl, you would be supporting your borther?

She won't because she's a lot more intelligent and views issues in sensible manners than that dude. Otedola - big boy; yes bt respecting dos and don't of the law (i doubt that).

men these guys v got doe sha. i wouldn't part with a hundred dollars just to set up a n1gga but someone is parting with 650 grand to sting a brother. faruk says he took the money and then zenon oil disappeared from the list. ote says ha gave money to set up lawan. in my own judgement book faruk is guilty until proved innocent and otedola is innocent until proved guilty.