The federal government will today arraign the former chairman of
the House of Representative Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk
Lawan, and the secretary of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, before an
Abuja High Court for allegedly receiving $620, 000 bribe from a businessman,
Mr. Femi Otedola, to remove his two oil firms, Zenon Petroleum and Forte Gas
Ltd, from the list of companies indicted in the fuel subsidy scam.
the House of Representative Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk
Lawan, and the secretary of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, before an
Abuja High Court for allegedly receiving $620, 000 bribe from a businessman,
Mr. Femi Otedola, to remove his two oil firms, Zenon Petroleum and Forte Gas
Ltd, from the list of companies indicted in the fuel subsidy scam.
Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of an Abuja High Court has granted
the federal government the permission to prefer a criminal charge under Section
185 (b) of the Criminal Procedure Code against Lawan and his co-accused.
the federal government the permission to prefer a criminal charge under Section
185 (b) of the Criminal Procedure Code against Lawan and his co-accused.
Farouk and Emenalo will today take a plea of ‘guilty’ or ‘not
guilty’ to a seven-count charge filed on behalf of the federal government by
Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
guilty’ to a seven-count charge filed on behalf of the federal government by
Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
The charge, which was signed by the federal director of public
prosecutions of the federation (DPP), Mrs. O. O. Fatunde, accused Lawan and
Emenalo of conspiring in April 2012 to collect $3million gratification from
business mogul Otedola, to remove his firms from the list of those implicated
in the oil subsidy scam, an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) (c) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under
Section 8 (1) of the same Act. It also accused Lawan of corruptly
obtaining $500, 000 from Otedola, for the purpose.
prosecutions of the federation (DPP), Mrs. O. O. Fatunde, accused Lawan and
Emenalo of conspiring in April 2012 to collect $3million gratification from
business mogul Otedola, to remove his firms from the list of those implicated
in the oil subsidy scam, an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) (c) of the
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under
Section 8 (1) of the same Act. It also accused Lawan of corruptly
obtaining $500, 000 from Otedola, for the purpose.
In the fifth charge, Emenalo was alleged to have corruptly asked
for $3million from Otedola to remove the name of his company from the list of
companies indicted in the fuel subsidy scam, thereby violating the ICPC Act,
2000.
for $3million from Otedola to remove the name of his company from the list of
companies indicted in the fuel subsidy scam, thereby violating the ICPC Act,
2000.
He was also accused of receiving gratification from the oil
magnate and refusing to report the offer of gratification to any officer of the
ICPC, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 23 (1) of the
ICPC Act and punishable under Section 23 (3) of the same Act.
magnate and refusing to report the offer of gratification to any officer of the
ICPC, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 23 (1) of the
ICPC Act and punishable under Section 23 (3) of the same Act.
Emenalo was also accused in count seven of receiving $120, 000
as gratification from Otedola for the same purpose, an action that violates
Section 10 (a)(ii) of ICPC Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 10 of the
same Act.
as gratification from Otedola for the same purpose, an action that violates
Section 10 (a)(ii) of ICPC Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 10 of the
same Act.
LEADERSHIP recalls that at the wake of oil subsidy crisis in
January 2012, the House set up an adhoc committee headed by Lawan to probe the
suspicious oil subsidy regime.
January 2012, the House set up an adhoc committee headed by Lawan to probe the
suspicious oil subsidy regime.
The committee indicted some oil companies and individuals of
short-changing the subsidy regime to the tune of N1.7trn, but it ran into
trouble when Otedola blew the whistle on the committee’s chairman, Lawan, and
secretary, Emenalo, saying they had solicited and collected bribes from him.
short-changing the subsidy regime to the tune of N1.7trn, but it ran into
trouble when Otedola blew the whistle on the committee’s chairman, Lawan, and
secretary, Emenalo, saying they had solicited and collected bribes from him.
Source: Leadership
