Hearing would commence on Tuesday in the trial of the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk Lawan, for allegedly obtaining $620,000 bribe money from Femi Otedola, the Chairman of Forte Oil.
Lawan and Boniface Emenalo will be standing trial before Justice Angela Otaluka of a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Lugbe on a seven-count criminal charge bordering on obtaining $620,000 from Otedola in order to doctor the committee’s report in favour of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited.
The duo were first arraigned before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi on February 2, 2013.Oniyangi has, however, been elevated to the Court of Appeal, with the matter reassigned to Justice Adebukola Banjoko.
Following an objection again before Justice Banjoko, the case was re-assigned to Justice Otaluka.The duo were alleged to have conspired in April 2012 to demand $3 million gratification from Otedola to remove his firm from the list of oil companies indicted for fuel subsidy scam.
The prosecution team, led by Adegboyega Awomolo onbehalf of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, had argued before the court that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 26 (1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 8 (1) of the same act.
Emenalo was separately accused of receiving$120,000 as gratification from Otedola for the same purpose, an offence which violates Section 10 (a)(ii) of ICPC Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 10 of the same Act.
Having pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Banjoko ordered the accused to continue with the bail conditions granted by Justice Oniyangi.
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