Saturday 4 August 2012

Police Concludes Investigation on Farouk Lawan and Femi Otedola' $3Million Dollar Bribery Scandal.


Indications emerged yesterday in Abuja that Police authorities of the Special Task Force investigating the $620, 000 bribery scandal involving the collection of same amount of money by erstwhile Chairman of the House of reps subsidy probe panel, Hon. Farouk Lawan from oil magnate, Chief Femi Otedola has concluded the investigation, written its final report and submitted the case file to the Attorney- General’s office.
Consequently, Greenwich news gathered that Hon. Farouk Lawan who has been in the eye of the storm over the bribery allegation, is set to face a 15 count charge of conspiracy, bribery, corruption, and lying under oath among others.
But contrary to the widely held belief among many legal luminaries concerning the interpretations of the law as it affects the giver and taker of bribe being liable to face criminal charges, Greenwich news gathered that Chief Femi Otedola who gave the bribe might be a prosecution witness if the recommendations of the investigation report is approved by the Attorney-General.
While intimating newsmen of a watertight case file owing to the fact that painstaking steps had been taken to plug any envisaged loophole in the report, sources disclosed that it will be difficult for the defence lawyers to arm-twist both Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo the secretary of the committee from complicity in the allegation.
Greenwich news gathered that among new addition to the charges included in the case file, were attachments detailing how Farouk Lawan collected and concealed the bribe monies from both the House Committee on Subsidy probe and the ploy to deceive investigators that he handed over the money to the chairman of the Financial Crimes Committee for safe keeping.
Asked if the non recovery of the hard cash of $620, 000 would not stand in the way of nailing the culprits in the scam, a source said, the Police is very optimistic that even though the $620,000 was not returned to be used as exhibit, there is overwhelming evidence to get conviction for the duo.
Recall that Hon. Lawan claimed in his statement to the Special Task Force (STF) that the $620,000 bribery money was handed over to the chairman House Committee on drugs and financial crimes, Adams Jagaba. Jagaba however rubbished the claim and challenged Lawan to prove how the money was given to him which he (Lawan) has so far failed to do.
Though Hon. Lawan has continued to report to the STF every two days with a promise to return the $620, 000, the money was not returned before the police concluded its investigations and report.

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