Lawan was the chairman of the house of representatives ad hoc committee probing the multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.

He was accused of demanding $3 million from Femi Otedola to remove Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited (Otedola’s company) from the list of oil companies allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.

Lawan, who was arraigned on three counts of bribery by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), was alleged to have collected $500,000 bribe from Otedola.

He filed a no-case-submission after the prosecution closed their case having called five witnesses to give evidence.

However, Angela Otaluka, judge presiding over the trial, ordered Lawan to enter defence after ruling that no-case-submission filled by his counsel had no basis.

Aggrieved, Lawan went before the court of appeal seeking to upturn the trial court’s judgment in his favour.

Delivering judgment in the appeal on Tuesday, Olabisi Ige, who read the decision on behalf of a three-man panel, held that the decision of the lower court was well founded.

The panel also held that the language of the trial judge, which Lawan complained about, did not place the defendant in any disadvantage position.

The appellate court added that the prosecution has made a “prima facie” case against Lawan which he must answer to.

“I am of the view that the rejection of the no-case submission is well founded and that the ruling of the lower court has not occasioned any miscarriage of justice against the appellant,” Ige said.

“The language of the lower court calling on the appellant to enter upon his defence to make his defence if any has in no way placed the appellant in any disadvantage or jeopardy

“I am of the firm view and I have no doubt that the oral and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution sufficiently linked the appellant to the charges against him and to warrant his being called upon to make his defence.

“Prosecution evidence was not slanted in favour of the prosecution. In all, all the four issues raised in this appeal are hereby resolved against the appellant. His appeal, being un-meritorious is hereby dismissed.”

The post A’court refuses to stop Farouk Lawan’s $3m ‘bribery’ trial appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Lawan is a former chairman of a house of representatives committee probing the multi-billion naira fuel subsidy fraud.

He chaired the probe committee in the seventh assembly.

The former lawmaker is accused of receiving money from Otedola to remove Zenon from the list of oil companies allegedly involved in the fuel subsidy fraud.

In 2013, he was charged by the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) for allegedly receiving bribe.

During the hearing of the case at a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Abuja on Wednesday, Adegboyega Awomolo, counsel to the federal government, played the tape showing Lawan receiving the said sum.

While giving his testimony, Otedola said Lawan removed Zenon from the list of indicted oil companies after he collected the money.

He said $2.5 million was the balance he was expected to pay the ex-lawmaker.

“I could not have put him under pressure because Zenon Oil was not involved in the theft of subsidy funds,” he told the court.

“If he did not demand (for money), why will he collect the $500,000 and was expecting $2.5 million. He did mention to me that the $3 million was going to be shared by himself and other officers of the house.

“I did not offer any $3 million. I was one of the biggest players in the business and I reported the matter when I found out about the scam.

“He did mention to me that several companies involved in the scam were paying and I reported to the DSS.”

After Awomolo finished quizzing Otedola, L Azuka, a lawyer from the chambers of Mike Ozekhome, counsel to Lawan, asked the court for an adjournment.

Azuka told the court that Ozekhome, the lead counsel, was “unavoidably absent.”

“The witness has given lengthy evidence. We will need time to study the evidence that he presented today viz-a-viz the statement he gave to the police,” he said.

“We don’t have copies, we need to obtain copies and prepare for the cross-examination.”

The counsel added that he was sick and would not be able to cross-examine the witness.

The federal government’s lawyer protested, urging the court not to grant the request of Azuka. “We will ask our lordship to utilise the day,” he said.

However, Angela Otaluka, the judge, granted the prayer of the defence counsel and adjourned the matter till January 28, 2019.

The post At last, Otedola testifies in court over Farouk Lawan’s $500,000 ‘bribe’ appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The former governor’s widow, Lady Doja Otedola, in a statement said Otedola died on Monday morning at the age of 87 years,

“Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola passed away this morning at 87. Funeral arrangements to be announced later by the family.”

It was learnt that the former governor died of a stroke related ailment that has kept him from public glare for the past five years.

Born on July 16, 1926 at Odoragunsin in the Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, the late Otedola won a scholarship to study Journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic, London and graduated in 1958.

He returned to Nigeria in 1959 to become an information officer in the Western Nigeria Government and was later appointed the Editor of the Western Nigeria Illustrated.

In 1961, he moved to the Western Nigeria Television/Western Broadcasting Service and in 1964, he joined Mobil Oil Group of Companies.

Otedola continued as a consultant to Mobil after leaving the company in 1977 before joining politics that later saw him elected governor of Lagos State from 1992 to 1993 on the platform of the National Republican Convention.

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