Story from Kenneth AFOR, Lagos
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Apo, on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, convicted and sentenced Farouk Lawan, a former Chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on Petroleum Subsidy, to seven years imprisonment.
Lawan is a former House of Representative member representing Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State and the chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by the House in 2012 to investigate massive petrol subsidy fraud.
The committee found some oil companies culpable of defrauding the Federal Government via spurious subsidy claims. Zenon Petroleum and Gas Company, belonging to Mr Otedola, was also found culpable.
The committee enjoyed wide public approval of the committee’s work, with Mr Lawan appearing strict during public hearings on the matter.
However, he was later accused of receiving bribes to clear some companies. Farouk was said to have received $500,000 out of the $3million he demanded from Mr Otedola.
The defendant was convicted for allegedly demanding a $3million bribe from the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Chief Femi Otedola, to remove his firms from the list of companies indicted for oil subsidy fraud by the House committee.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) having successfully established a criminal case against the defendant, held that the defendant acted in breach of section 17 (1) (a), section 8(1) (a) (b) (ii), and section 23 (i) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000, and committed an offence punishable under section 8 (1) 17 (1) and 23(3) of the same Act.
After listening to the parties, facts and evidence before the court, Justice Angela Otaluka in her judgment sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment.
