The $3million bribery scam rocking the House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc Committee on fuel subsidy payments took a new dimension yesterday when its Chairman, Hon. Farouk Lawan, was detained by the police in Abuja after interrogation.
His lawyer, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) applied for bail on self-recognition, but the request was turned down. A business mogul, who is the Chairman of Zenon Oil Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola, accused Lawan of receiving $620,000 of a $3 million bribe deal from him to assist in removing the name of his company from the probe panel report.
Otedola claimed he was under pressure from Lawan to play ball even after Zenon Oil which deals in diesel, did not enjoy from the Federal Government’s Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) which covers petrol only. Mr. Otedola submitted the audio and video evidence of the event to the police on Tuesday. Police claimed they sent a letter of invitation to Lawan on June 5. But yesterday, Lawan reported at the Louis Edet Force Headquarters in Abuja. He was grilled for about two hours.
Sources said those who grilled him wanted to take the lawmaker to the Ag. Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, but it was learnt that he said the Special Task Force should conduct investigation and report its findings to the police authorities. The Force Headquarters set up an interrogation panel made of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, an Assistant Commissioner, a Chief Superintendent and a Superintendent, headed by Police Commissioner Ali Amodu.
The panel interrogated Lawan who arrived Louis Edet Building at 3.57pm with his lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). After a brief wait as he alighted from his car, Lawan, who is also Chairman, House Committee on Education, had been in the House since 1999 Lawan who was known for championing a populist campaign called the Integrity Group, proceeded into the building for his meeting with the team that had waited for his arrival all Wednesday in vain. Meanwhile, the police said they have concluded plans to work with other security agencies to aid investigation.
The police, however, said they are currently working with the State Security Service (SSS) on the matter. The police also listed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant security agencies as partners in the task. Assistant Force Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Inyang, who disclosed this on a radio programme, Police Diary yesterday, said a number of people have been invited for interrogation by the police over the matter.
Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the House of Representatives may suspend Lawan today. The House would hold emergency session today after cutting short a two-week recess. However, to avoid such humiliating treatment, Lawan is said to be considering stepping down as the chair before the commencement of the session. This is coming as the rumour of the Presidency moving against the leadership of the House gathered momentum yesterday. This allegation was denied in a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement issued by the Presidency. Daily Sun learnt that today’s emergency session was called by the House leadership in view of the direction the bribery allegation against Lawan and his committee is taking.
A principal officer of the House, who didn’t want his name mentioned, said the chamber may suspend Lawan to allow him time to face police investigation. He said: “We have only one item on the table which is to determine the fate of Farouk Lawan. “We are increasingly worried that this bribery allegation is unjustifiably affecting the image of the House. We can’t close our eyes to this unfortunate development”.
However, Daily Sun gathered that some lawmakers will oppose any move to suspend Lawan. Apart from such opposition coming from the Kano and Jigawa caucuses, the leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) caucus is said to be averse to Lawan’s suspension. Whereas some ACN members are incensed by the allegation and believe the man should be left to sort himself out, the leadership of the party’s caucus feels that bribery allegation is mainly a grand design by the Presidency to dump the subsidy report.
“Some of my colleagues unfortunately do not think we should abandon Lawan at this time. I will not go with them because I will not associate with any bribery or corruption”, a Representative from Ekiti State said. According to him, “at the end, he may not be suspended, but it would have been established that we acted in line with our conscience”. Feelers indicate that the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), may kick against Lawan’s suspension. Some of them said they will prefer that the House waits till the end of police investigation on the matter before taking a stand on him and the ad-hoc committee members.
Meanwhile, there’s a speculation that the Presidency and former President Olusegun Obasanjo are hiding under the current bribery allegation to move against the House Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal. On Wednesday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)issued a statement alleging that the Presidency was plotting for the removal of Tambuwal .
The group said the plot was being hatched using the bribery scandal involving Lawan, as an alibi. The statement which was signed by the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said: “An offence allegedly committed by an individual member should not be used as an excuse to create another crisis in the House of Representatives.”
His lawyer, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) applied for bail on self-recognition, but the request was turned down. A business mogul, who is the Chairman of Zenon Oil Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola, accused Lawan of receiving $620,000 of a $3 million bribe deal from him to assist in removing the name of his company from the probe panel report.
Otedola claimed he was under pressure from Lawan to play ball even after Zenon Oil which deals in diesel, did not enjoy from the Federal Government’s Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) which covers petrol only. Mr. Otedola submitted the audio and video evidence of the event to the police on Tuesday. Police claimed they sent a letter of invitation to Lawan on June 5. But yesterday, Lawan reported at the Louis Edet Force Headquarters in Abuja. He was grilled for about two hours.
Sources said those who grilled him wanted to take the lawmaker to the Ag. Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, but it was learnt that he said the Special Task Force should conduct investigation and report its findings to the police authorities. The Force Headquarters set up an interrogation panel made of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, an Assistant Commissioner, a Chief Superintendent and a Superintendent, headed by Police Commissioner Ali Amodu.
The panel interrogated Lawan who arrived Louis Edet Building at 3.57pm with his lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). After a brief wait as he alighted from his car, Lawan, who is also Chairman, House Committee on Education, had been in the House since 1999 Lawan who was known for championing a populist campaign called the Integrity Group, proceeded into the building for his meeting with the team that had waited for his arrival all Wednesday in vain. Meanwhile, the police said they have concluded plans to work with other security agencies to aid investigation.
The police, however, said they are currently working with the State Security Service (SSS) on the matter. The police also listed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant security agencies as partners in the task. Assistant Force Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Inyang, who disclosed this on a radio programme, Police Diary yesterday, said a number of people have been invited for interrogation by the police over the matter.
Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the House of Representatives may suspend Lawan today. The House would hold emergency session today after cutting short a two-week recess. However, to avoid such humiliating treatment, Lawan is said to be considering stepping down as the chair before the commencement of the session. This is coming as the rumour of the Presidency moving against the leadership of the House gathered momentum yesterday. This allegation was denied in a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement issued by the Presidency. Daily Sun learnt that today’s emergency session was called by the House leadership in view of the direction the bribery allegation against Lawan and his committee is taking.
A principal officer of the House, who didn’t want his name mentioned, said the chamber may suspend Lawan to allow him time to face police investigation. He said: “We have only one item on the table which is to determine the fate of Farouk Lawan. “We are increasingly worried that this bribery allegation is unjustifiably affecting the image of the House. We can’t close our eyes to this unfortunate development”.
However, Daily Sun gathered that some lawmakers will oppose any move to suspend Lawan. Apart from such opposition coming from the Kano and Jigawa caucuses, the leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) caucus is said to be averse to Lawan’s suspension. Whereas some ACN members are incensed by the allegation and believe the man should be left to sort himself out, the leadership of the party’s caucus feels that bribery allegation is mainly a grand design by the Presidency to dump the subsidy report.
“Some of my colleagues unfortunately do not think we should abandon Lawan at this time. I will not go with them because I will not associate with any bribery or corruption”, a Representative from Ekiti State said. According to him, “at the end, he may not be suspended, but it would have been established that we acted in line with our conscience”. Feelers indicate that the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), may kick against Lawan’s suspension. Some of them said they will prefer that the House waits till the end of police investigation on the matter before taking a stand on him and the ad-hoc committee members.
Meanwhile, there’s a speculation that the Presidency and former President Olusegun Obasanjo are hiding under the current bribery allegation to move against the House Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal. On Wednesday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)issued a statement alleging that the Presidency was plotting for the removal of Tambuwal .
The group said the plot was being hatched using the bribery scandal involving Lawan, as an alibi. The statement which was signed by the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said: “An offence allegedly committed by an individual member should not be used as an excuse to create another crisis in the House of Representatives.”
Sun News
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