FaroukGate Bribery Scandal: $620,000 money has been spent - Report
Indications emerged on
Friday that the 620, 000
dollars subsidy bribe
money collected by the
former Chairman, House
of Representatives Ad
hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon.
Farouk Lawan, can no longer be recovered
as the Police have concluded that the
money has been spent.
This is coming as sources close to Saturday
Tribune revealed that final reports of the subsidy
bribe investigation is being prepared with a view
to meet Lawan’s lawyers who are believed ready
for legal battle on the matter.
The source said that conclusion was arrived at,
following realisation by Hon. Lawan that his
continued insistence that he would bring the
money was a ploy to delay Police from concluding
its investigation.
It was learnt that the Police authorities are now
perfecting their legal front with a view to nipping
in the bud, any loophole that Lawan’s lawyers
may want to exploit during prosecution of the
case.
“The only rope that is being held by Lawan, which
was in his statement that he handed over the
bribe money to Hon. Adams Jagaba, Chairman,
House Committee of Financial Crimes, has been
investigated and trashed out with all parties
making their statements on that issue,” a source
said.
“We are tired of seeing him everyday and he
continued telling us he will bring the money. We
know his gimmick because he believes that
without the exhibit the police cannot prosecute
him successfully but let us wait and see.”
“It will now be the turn of the courts to decide on
the findings of the Police investigation. We have
done a job that will be difficult to fault. We have
overwhelming evidence even before now, just
that we wanted to plug any probable loop hole,”
the source told Saturday Tribune.
It will be recalled that oil magnate, Mr. Femi
Otedola, had claimed that Hon. Lawan took
620,000 dollars bribe from him under pressure to
enable him remove name of his company among
those that benefitted illegally from fuel subsidy
fund and that he had audio and visual evidences
to proof his claims.
This is as he claimed that operatives of State
Security Service (SSS) were in the know of the
incident.
Friday that the 620, 000
dollars subsidy bribe
money collected by the
former Chairman, House
of Representatives Ad
hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon.
Farouk Lawan, can no longer be recovered
as the Police have concluded that the
money has been spent.
This is coming as sources close to Saturday
Tribune revealed that final reports of the subsidy
bribe investigation is being prepared with a view
to meet Lawan’s lawyers who are believed ready
for legal battle on the matter.
The source said that conclusion was arrived at,
following realisation by Hon. Lawan that his
continued insistence that he would bring the
money was a ploy to delay Police from concluding
its investigation.
It was learnt that the Police authorities are now
perfecting their legal front with a view to nipping
in the bud, any loophole that Lawan’s lawyers
may want to exploit during prosecution of the
case.
“The only rope that is being held by Lawan, which
was in his statement that he handed over the
bribe money to Hon. Adams Jagaba, Chairman,
House Committee of Financial Crimes, has been
investigated and trashed out with all parties
making their statements on that issue,” a source
said.
“We are tired of seeing him everyday and he
continued telling us he will bring the money. We
know his gimmick because he believes that
without the exhibit the police cannot prosecute
him successfully but let us wait and see.”
“It will now be the turn of the courts to decide on
the findings of the Police investigation. We have
done a job that will be difficult to fault. We have
overwhelming evidence even before now, just
that we wanted to plug any probable loop hole,”
the source told Saturday Tribune.
It will be recalled that oil magnate, Mr. Femi
Otedola, had claimed that Hon. Lawan took
620,000 dollars bribe from him under pressure to
enable him remove name of his company among
those that benefitted illegally from fuel subsidy
fund and that he had audio and visual evidences
to proof his claims.
This is as he claimed that operatives of State
Security Service (SSS) were in the know of the
incident.
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