MEDIATRACNET
For demanding $3million bribe, but actually received a $500,000 from Lagos businessman, Femi Otedola, a former Member, House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, was on Tuesday sentenced to seven years imprisonment fhe Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja.
Lawan was a one-time Chairman of the defunct House of Representatives ad-hoc committee charged with the responsibility of probing the fuel subsidy fraud in the petroleum sub-sector in 2012.
The presiding judge, Angela Otaluka, said Lawan guilty of all the three counts charge of bribery preferred against him almost ten years ago. The charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the former lawmaker were that he solicited and received $500,000 bribe from a businessman, Femi Otedola, being part payment of the $3milllion he demanded to facilitate the removal of Otedola’s company’s name from the list of companies indicted for fuel subsidy scam.
Before delivering her judgment on Tuesday, Justice Otaluka from available evidence before the court, the prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, established beyond reasonable doubt that the lawmaker corruptly requested for a $3million bribe from the businessman.
“Count One of the charges is not based on suspicion, but on credible evidence having received a $500,000 in two tranches from the businessman.
The judge dismissed Lawan’s plea that the $500,000 was received as a ploy to extract proof of the intention by Otedola to corruptly induce him and members of his committee.
