$620,000 bribe: Reps interrogate Farouk Lawan
Farouk Lawan
The House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges yesterday quizzed the former chairman of the ad hoc committee on subsidy regime management, Hon. Farouk Lawan, over allegations of $620,000 bribery levelled against him by oil magnate, Femi Otedola.
The committee also summoned Femi Otedola to appear before it on July 3 to substantiate his allegations.
The media was however not allowed to cover the investigation as the ethics and privileges committee chairman, Hon. Gambo Musa, explained that the exercise was not a “public hearing.”
Defending holding the investigation in secret, the chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, told reporters at a separate press conference that the House directed the committee to do so in order to avoid jeopardising the other investigations being conducted by law enforcement agencies on the same matter.
Zakari explained that if the committee is allowed to conduct the probe in the open, some persons who were equally affected might use information provided by Lawan to their advantage.
Lawan had arrived the venue of the investigation at 1.07 pm, although the event was slated to begin at 12.30 pm.
Farouk, dressed in a all-white traditional attire called babbanriga with skull cap to match, was not accompanied by anybody.
On sighting the large number of journalists at the venue, Lawan exclaimed: “Is it a full House, Chairman?”
In his opening address, the ethic chairman assured that his committee would “carry out its assignment with a very high sense of commitment. We shall strive to be fair and just to all parties involved.”
After the opening speech, journalists were ordered to vacate the Committee Room 459, venue of the investigation.
It will be recalled that Lawan was relieved of his position as the Chairman of the House Education Committee and the ad hoc committee on subsidy following the allegation by Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas Ltd that he demanded a bribe of $3 million. Otedola had claimed that he paid $620,000 to Lawan.
Lawan had initially denied the allegation, but later agreed that he personally collected $500,000 from Otedola, while the Clerk of the Committee, Mr Boniface Emenalo, also notified him of collecting $120,000.
Filed Under: News
If Lawan is a thief, Otedola is the grand patron of thieves, pure and simple. Saint Otedola has not told us all the truths. The whole thing smells of business agreement gone awry or an afterthought. Questions for Saint Otedola;
1. How many times do you have to give money in a sting operation, before catching the target?
2. If the Law enforcement people setup the string operation, why are you in the possession of the tapes? Why are you the one reporting the case, in an operation that was initiated by them?
3. How many months have to elapse before you Saint Otedola will open up, when the evidence would have disappeared?
4. How was the money marked? Who marked it? We need an independent person to confirm this, otherwise na jack and jill story.
5. Why is that the Law enforcement you claimed collaborated with you have remained silence in this matter?
Saint Otedola, you are the greatest fool in the transaction, because you wanted to show your cleanliness but ended up throwing up your putrefaction in the public domain. You have shown what you are a buccaneer of the highest calling. Nobody is fooled.
Nigeria is a funny country we will not here anything again because all of them are doing it that is why he has confidence in his collleaque.