The High Court Sentences Farouk Lawan to Seven Years in Prison for Bribery
The High Court Sentences Farouk Lawan to Seven Years in Prison for Bribery. On Tuesday June, 22nd, 2021, Farouk was found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison.
A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has sentenced the former Chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on Petroleum Subsidy, Farouk Lawan to seven years in prison for allegedly requesting for bribe.
Lawan during the trial on Tuesday was found to be guilty of count one, two, and three centered on corruptly asking for and obtaining bribe from Femi Otedola, in order to exonerate Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the list of companies found in the fuel subsidy scam.
According to count one, it was stated that the former Chairman, ad-hoc committee on monitoring of fuel subsidy regime corruptly asked the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Femi Otedola, for a bribe of $3 million as a formal charge to remove the name of his company from the report of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on monitoring of fuel subsidy regime.
The Judge who presided over the case, Justice Angela Otaluka, noted that the evidence listed and submitted before the court by the prosecution counsel, remained accurate during the cross-examination.
The judge also stated that the conduct, responses, and submissions of the defendant and witnesses, in this case, established the charge in the count.
Count two explained that the defendant collected the sum of $500,000 as a bribe to alleviate Zenon petroleum and gas from the fuel subsidy probe report.
Furthermore, the Justice added that the defendant requested for a balance of payment, after receiving the first and second tranche of the payment, and as at the early hours of 24th April 2012 when the accused received the second tranche, no complaint was made to any security agency or anti-corruption agencies, as he claims he accepted the money to show as evidence before the house.
The judge went on to say the defendant failed to convince the court that his acceptance of the said bribe was to serve as evidence before the House Committee that the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum wants to bribe the Committee that partook in the probe.
For count one and two the court sentenced Lawan to seven years while for count three he was sentenced to five years.
The sentences are said to run at the same time.
Finally, the court also ordered that the defendant return the sum of $500,000 to the Federal Government.
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