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Tag: 000 bribe

  • Alleged $50,000 theft: Group, police disagree over N50,000 ‘bribe’

    Was a single mother of two, Blessing Taiwo, unlawfully arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping unit of the Lagos Police Command and released after paying a N50,000 bribe?

    The above posers remained unanswered yesterday as the police and a civil society coalition, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) traded words over the matter.

    The group alleged that the Officer-in-Charge of unit, Akinade Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), unlawfully detained Taiwo, following an alleged $50,000 theft case reported by the country representative of Afri Investment, Mrs. Abiola Osagie.

    In a petition to the acting Commissioner of Police (Ag CP,) Imohimi Edgal, the group claimed that the policemen demanded a N70,000 bribe to release Taiwo, alleging that officers of the unit also sexually assaulted the suspect’s younger sister, Florence, who took food to her.

    Adejobi, according to NOPRIN, “probably has some personal things in common” with the complainant, which explained why he interfered in a case of stealing.

    But in a swift reaction, the police command stated that the case was duly transferred to his unit from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) because of his thoroughness in carrying out investigation.

    Spokesman for the command, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) told The Nation that a group of persons were bent on tarnishing the reputation of the officer for refusing to circumvent due process.

    He said: “It is disturbing that people would accuse that senior officer of such things. That case was duly transferred to him from SCIID. He is believed to be a thorough officer and he was asked to investigate the matter.

    “The very day the woman was arrested, people, including journalists, started mounting pressure for her release. They didn’t bother to find out what really happened. She was detained because from police investigation, she changed dollars within the period the money allegedly went missing. There were circumstantial evidence that the police needed to investigate.

    “She was granted administrative bail. The people claiming that money was demanded or received should please come forward with their claims. We would like to know the person they gave the money to.

    “That notwithstanding, the command is investigating the petition including the case of alleged sexual abuse. People should know that we would not hesitate to prosecute those found culpable. And if at the end of the day, these allegations are found to be false, we would prosecute those behind it.”

    In the petition, NOPRIN said it was shocked “at the impunity” with which the OC Anti Kidnapping assumed the role of investigator, prosecutor and executioner.

    It accused the officer of “obvious interest and bias.”

    “That the OC could continue to unjustifiably detain Blessing beyond the duration permitted by law without showing any evidence of her culpability, and refusing all entreaties to either grant her bail or charge her to court, is a clear demonstration of abuse of police powers and violation of the victim’s constitutional rights further elaborated by the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2011.

    “In the first place, a case of stealing ought not to be taken to or investigated by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit but because the complainant and the OC probably have some personal things in common, the OC decided to do her illegal biddings, which the DPO at Ikoyi professionally refused to do.

    “NOPRIN calls for a prompt investigation of these acts of misconduct and infractions of the law by the OC Anti-kidnapping and some officers under him. All the police officers responsible should be subjected to appropriate disciplinary measures.

    “NOPRIN calls on the CP Lagos to ensure that the police accords adequate remedies, including a written apology to the victim. Finally, NOPRIN will follow up on this case to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to account and the victim’s fundamental rights fully enforced.”

    The Nation gathered that Osagie allegedly left $50,000 in her office before embarking on a trip last month.

    She returned to the country on August 24 and by August 28, discovered that the money was missing.

    Taiwo, it was learnt, converted dollars to naira on August 21, while Osagie was away.

    When The Nation asked her about the source of the dollars, Taiwo said it was money she made during a 2015 training.

    She said: “In 2015, we went for a training and I was given $500. I changed $300 that year and paid my children’s school fees. Last year, I changed another $100. It was the remaining $100 I went and changed on August 21 and I explained that to the police.

    “I also showed them evidence. I did not know she kept money in the office. I did not take any money. It is true that the case was first reported at Ikoyi Police Station and was moved to SCIID, Panti.

    “It was the day we got to Panti that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) told us that the case had been transferred to Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

    “I do not know about the bribe. It was Pastor Godwin Isaac that gave the money to the policeman. It was not the Officer-in-Charge, not his deputy and not the IPO because they were not around. It was a policeman there that collected the money and I don’t know him.”

    Taiwo’s sister, Folake, who was also at the station, told The Nation that she was outside and did not know who the money was given to.

    She said Pastor Isaac was the one who gave the money to the collector, but the former denied handing over money to any policeman.

    According to Pastor Isaac, it was one of the suspect’s cousins, whom he only met at the station that handed over the money to a policeman at the station.

    Asked if they could identify any of the policemen that allegedly molested Florence, they said no, adding “we couldn’t look them in the face because they were armed.”

  • Alleged $500,000 bribe: Fed Govt seeks return of Lawan’s trial to former judge

    Alleged $500,000 bribe: Fed Govt seeks return of Lawan’s trial to former judge

    THE Federal Government has applied for the return of the $500,000 bribe case involving ex-House of Representatives member Farouk Lawan to judge handling it before it was reassigned to a new judge.

    Lawan, who has been on trial for about four years now, was last before Justice Angela Otaluka of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Lugbe, where the prosecution was close to rounding off its case, having called four of its scheduled five witnesses.

    The Chief Judge of the High Court of the FCT, Justice Ishaq Bello, last month directed a transfer of the case to another judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu of court 32, High Court of the FCT in Jabi upon a petition by Lawan.

    The Federal Government, through the office of the AGF, is prosecuting Lawan on a three-count amended charge of corrupt collection of $500,000 out of the $3 million bribe he allegedly requested from Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Mr. Femi Otedola.

  • Alleged $500,000 bribe: Prosecution shuns Lawan’s trial

    Alleged $500,000 bribe: Prosecution shuns Lawan’s trial

    •SAN protests CJ’s transfer of case to another judge

    THE prosecution yesterday failed to show up for the trial of a former House of Representatives’ member, Farouk Lawan, before another judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.

    Lawan, who has been on trial for about four years now, was last tried before Justice Angela Otaluka of the FCT in Lugbe, where the prosecution was close to rounding off its case after calling four of its five witnesses.

    But, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello,  transferred the case to Justice Yusuf Halilu, of Court 32, High Court of the FCT in Jabi.

    Lead prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), said Justice Bello did not hear from the prosecution before transfer the case.

    Awomolo objected to the transfer and has written the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for his intervention.

    Court documents sighted by The Nation revealed that Justice Bello elected to re-assign the case to Justice Halilu following a March 21 petition by Lawan in which he accused Justice Otaluka of bias in her handling of the trial.

    The implication of the transfer is that the case that started about four years ago and with the prosecution having called four of its scheduled five witnesses, will have to start afresh before Justice Halilu.

    Justice Halilu is the fourth judge to which the case will be transferred since its commencement on February 1, 2013.

    The Federal Government, through the office of the AGF, is prosecuting Lawan on a three-count amended charge of corrupt collection of $500,000 out of the $3 million bribe he allegedly requested from Zenon Petroleum and Gas LtdChairman Mr. Femi Otedola.

    Lawan, who was the chairman of the House of Reps ad-hoc committee that investigated the fuel subsidy fraud under President Goodluck Jonathan, was accused of accepting $500,000 as bribe to remove the name of Otedola’s firms, Zenon Petroleum and Gas and Synopsis Enterprises Limited, from the list of companies found to have allegedly defrauded the Federal Government of billions of naira by allegedly abusing the fuel subsidy regime in 2012.

    Lawan was initially arraigned with the secretary of his ad-hoc committee, Boniface Emenalo, on a seven-count charge in which they were accused of accepting $620,000 from Otedola.

    The prosecution later reviewed the case, reduced the count to three, the money to $500,000 and removed Emenalo as a defendant. It later featured Emenalo as a prosecution witness.

    After their arraignment on February 1, 2013, before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the High Court of the FCT in Maitama, Lawan appealed the judge’s ruling to the effect that the defence has a case to answer, a development that halted further proceedings in the case until May 12, 2014, when the Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal and held that he should submit himself for trial.

    By the time the Appeal Court’s verdict was ready, Justice Oniyangi had been elevated to the Court of Appeal, following which the case was transferred to Justice Bukola Banjoko of the High Court of the FCT in Gudu.

    Before trial could commence before Justice Banjoko, Lawan wrote a petition and an application, asking the judge to withdraw from the case.

    On November 18, 2014, Justice Banjoko withdrew from the case despite the withdrawal of the application filed by Lawan, asking her to disqualify herself from the case.

    Lawan’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who authored the application dated October 29, 2014, had applied to withdraw it.

    In a ruling on November 18, 2014, Justice Banjoko held that though the application has been withdrawn and the chief judge had cleared her of the allegation in a petition written against her by Lawan, the content of the petition were “scandalous challenge” on her integrity.

    “In my 17 years on the bench – six years and as a magistrate and 11 years as a judge – I have never been confronted with a scandalous challenge of my integrity,” she said.

    Lawan had, in addition to the application by Ozekhome, wrote a petition to the court’s  chief judge, alleging that Justice Banjoko was likely to be  bias based on an alleged close relationship between her and  Otedola, who is a proposed witness and the complainant in the case.

    Ozekhome denied knowledge of the petition and, while applying to withdraw the application with which he had sought the judge’s withdrawal, pleaded with the judge to overlook the wrong impression created by the application and his client’s petition.

    The case was later reassigned to Justice Otaluka, where trial commenced and the prosecution amended the charge, reducing the defendant to one and the counts to three.

    The prosecution concluded with its fourth witness and was to call its last witness, when Lawan wrote his latest petition dated March 21, 2017.

    Lawan, in the petition he personally signed, urged the chief judge “to use your good offices to transfer my case to a judge who does not have personal interest in the case and who will try me fairly”.

    Lawan accused Justice Otaluka of allegedly refusing to adjourn the trial on different occasions to enable his lead defence lawyer, Ozekhome (SAN), to handle his case personally.

    He said: “In my view of the harsh and unfair manner, as well as the apparent and consistent prejudice exhibited by the judge in handling my case, especially by her refusal to grant me an adjournment, so that I will be represented by a counsel of my own choice, and her expression that she must quickly conclude my case, leaves me with no doubt that she has a mind-set to hurriedly convict me at all cost for reasons best known to her.”

    Awomolo, in objecting to the transfer of the case, wrote to the AGF on June 8, and sought his “directive as to the next line of action”.

    He described Lawan as being “notorious for making undeserved allegation when he feels he is likely to lose”.

    Awomolo argued that the ground of Lawan’s petition, on which ground Justice Bello transferred the case to a new judge, was “an appealable decision and the defendant filed no appeal against the decision complained about in the petition”.

    He noted that the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court took the decision, “without opportunity to us (the prosecution) for comment and without due regard to the long history of the case, the antecedents of the defendant (Lawan) and the damage to the case of the prosecution, transferred the case to another judge for trial de novo (afresh)”.

    “This, your honour, is very frustrating, discouraging, oppressive on the prosecution and undeserved more so when the prosecution was not given an opportunity for hearing,” Awomolo said.

    Justice Bello headed the presidential committee that initiated the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJA) that is being hailed for its effort to eliminate delay in criminal trials.

    Among the several endorsements the ACJA has received since its enactment in  2015 was the May 9, 2017 ruling of the Supreme Court, in which it upheld Section 306 of the ACJA, which prohibits stay of proceedings in criminal trials.

    The ruling was an application for stay of proceedings filed by an ex-spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking stay in his trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

     

  • $620,000 bribe: Otedola to testify against Lawan

    $620,000 bribe: Otedola to testify against Lawan

    The prosecution in the trial of ex-chairman, House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan, has indicated its intention to invite businessman, Femi Otedola, as one of its witnesses in the case.

    The Nation gathered that Otedola was listed as a prosecution witness in some documents currently before the court.

    Lawan was arraigned alongside the former Secretary of the committee, Boniface Emenalo on a seven-count charge before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on February 2, 2013.

    In the case filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Commission (ICPC), the duo were accused of receiving the $620, 000 as bribe from Otedola, ostensibly to exclude his companies – Zenon Petroleum and Gas and Synopsis Enterprises Limited – from the list of companies found to have allegedly defrauded the Federal Government during the fuel subsidy regime.

  • Alleged $620,000 bribe: Emenalo to testify against Farouk Lawan

    Alleged $620,000 bribe: Emenalo to testify against Farouk Lawan

    Former co-accused to the ex-Chairman, House of Representatives ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy, Farouk Lawan, Boniface Emenalo will testify against Lawan in the case of acceptance of bribe brought against him and Lawan.

    Until yesterday, Lawan and Emenalo, who acted as the committee’s secretary, were listed as defendants in the seven-count charge brought against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

    But yesterday, prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo announced that the prosecution has amended the charge, reduced the counts to three and deleted Emenalo as a defendant.

    The amended charge indicated that Lawan demanded $3 million from Mr. Michael Otedola and did collect $500,000 from the businessman. The offences are said to be contrary to sections 8(1)(a) and 17(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, and punishable under sections (8)(1) and 17(1) of the same Act.

    Awomolo, through Emenalo as first prosecution witness, tendered some documents in aid of the prosecution’s case. The documents include:  Order Paper for the special session sitting of the House of Representatives on Sunday, January 8, 2012; votes and proceedings of the special session on the same date; Order Paper, vote and proceedings of the House on Wednesday April 18, 2012; and Order Paper, votes and proceedings of Tuesday April 24, 2012.

    Also tendered was ‘Report of an ad hoc committee to determine the actual subsidy requirement and monitor the implementation of the subsidy regime in Nigeria (Resolution number HR.1/2012)’.

    Trial Judge Justice Angela Otakula dismissed the objection by the defense lawyer, Sekop Zumka, who contended that the documents were not admissible as exhibits because the prosecution failed to provide the evidence of payment for its certification by the House of Representatives as provided for in the Evidence Act 2011.

    But Justice Otakula held that unpaid fees does not render a document inadmissible in as much as it is relevant to the case. She also held that there was no provision of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 which prohibited the tendering of documents obtained after a case was filed.

    She, however, gave the prosecution seven days to pay the fees and fixed further hearing for February 9.

     

     

  • $620,000 bribe: Police quiz Lawan, Emenalo again

    $620,000 bribe: Police quiz Lawan, Emenalo again

    SUSPENDED House Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime chair Farouk Lawan kept another date with the police yesterday.

    Lawan got more questions on the $620,000 bribe allegation hurled at him by businessman Mr. Femi Otedola, who said he hand him the cash to get his company’s name off the list of those indicted in the subsidy probe.

    Lawan and the Clerk of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, got more questions from the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Force CID, Mr. Ali Amodu, following a letter from the government prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).

    The two suspects will report at the FCID today to answer the questions in writing after taking the oath to be truthful.

    But the police have also decided to re-invite Otedola and the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, Drugs and Narcotics, Mr. Adam Jagaba, who Lawan claimed to have given the $600,000 bribe for transmission to the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

    It was learnt that the police may probe Jagaba’s medical records as part of their search for the bribe cash.

    Lawan and Emenalo reported at the FCID as part of their bail bond, but the situation took a new turn as the police placed them on additional investigation.

    It was learnt that the two suspects were told that they had to go through another round of additional investigation at the prompting of the government prosecutor.

    A source said: “When the two suspects (Lawan and Emenalo) reported at the FCID, they were served questions by the CP. But Lawan queried why the police will subject them to investigation after recommending them for trial.

    “Lawan alleged that since the police had made up their mind that they had a case to answer, they should just go ahead with their arraignment in court.

    “But the CP took time to explain that the additional investigation was at the prompting of the government prosecutor.”

    The source quoted Lawan as saying: “Let us take the questions home to study, we will come and make statements on oath or under caution later.”

    According to the source, “Lawan and Emenalo were served with the questions and directed to report on Thursday for interrogation and writing of statements under caution.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “Certainly, we will re-invite Otedola and Jagaba.

    “Jagaba’s case is peculiar because Lawan said he met him at about 3.47am and handed over $500,000 out of the $620,000 to him. But Jagaba said he could not have met Lawan at 3am because of his health challenge as a result of which he sleeps by 10pm.

    “Now, the police will probe the medical records and his medication to ascertain whether he has a life-threatening ailment as claimed.

    “The real challenge is locating the whereabouts of the $620,000.”

    The prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega (SAN), has written the police on what he is expecting on fresh angles to the case.

    He, specifically, asked the Police to obtain a statement from the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, as a follow-up to his letter on how Lawan approached him and ignored his advice for a sting operation by the anti-graft agency.

    The prosecution team’s demands are as follows: “Police to obtain statement from each and every member of the House Ad Hoc Committee. They should make statement of their knowledge of the transactions and communication between Otedola and Farouk with regard to the $3m and if they have knowledge of wether $120,000 was given to the Secretary. When did they become aware?

    “Whether they were a part of the House leadership meeting that made the Resolution not to display the money. Who brought the money and where was it as at 6th of June, and who took custody of it thereafter?

    “The members will also say whether they were aware of reports to Jagaba and EFCC and if they were aware, when and how they became aware.

    “Police to investigate the security guards at Jagaba’s house, especially the security man on duty on the 24th April 2012 (if there was any).

    “Police to confirm medically and scientifically the ‘life time medication’ of Jagaba, the source, the duration of such medication. Check the correctness of the claim – Jagaba should not be believed without cross checking.

    “Where is the $600,000 or $620,000? It must be established. Note the meeting of House Leadership, i.e. Deputy Speaker, Hon Bashiru Adamu and Hon Adams Jagaba – statement of each of them (Lawan’s statement of 14/06/2012).

    “Confirm whether the House Leadership knew of the money with Jagaba as at 29th May. Confirm the serial number of the $100 bills obtained from Emenalo’s house. Whether it accords with that issued by SSS.

    “Whether the $10,000 recovered from Lawan has the same serial numbers of the US dollar bills as those issued by the SSS to Mr. Femi Otedola.

    “To obtain statements from the SSS operatives who conducted the sting operation. A statement should be obtained from Mr. Lamorde – in line with his letter of 4th July 2012. His letter is not a statement admissible in a court of law).

    “To obtain CTC of the following documents: Hansard of the House sitting of 8th January 2012 (there should be terms of reference). Rules and procedure of the committee; The Hansard of the proceedings of the 18th and 24th April, 2012; The PPPRA subsidy scam from Mr. Femi Otedola; The letter of Mr. Otedola to SSS, dated 18th April, 2012; The register/serial number, copy of the SSS of $620,000 bills.”