The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farouk Lawan

  • For Farouk Lawan, an era ends

    If you were to ask Farouk Lawan how fast fortunes change, his answer will probably be “faster than the speed of light”. From being a high ranking member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the ad hoc House Committee on Oil Subsidy Probe, which had led to him being tipped as a good contender for the 2015 governorship election in Kano State, to being humbled and touted as an alleged bribe taker, Lawan can only watch helplessly as his political career takes a nosedive. In addition to the misfortune that has befallen him lately, Lawan lost the 2015 House of Representatives contest.

    Until he was caught in the controversy of the bribe money he allegedly demanded from popular oil magnate Femi Otedola, Lawan was popularly known as Mr. Integrity in the House of Representatives. He had championed the removal of Nigeria’s first female Speaker, Patricia Etteh, over an allegation that she misappropriated public funds. With such a lofty reputation, there was no hiding place for Lawan when the lid on his alleged complicity in a bribery scandal involving Otedola during an oil subsidy probe blew open.

    The diminutive ex-lawmaker is now left to reflect on the glorious past and imagine what the future holds in the face of the present circumstances.

  • I accepted Otedola’s $100,000 bribe to expose him – Emenalo

    I accepted Otedola’s $100,000 bribe to expose him – Emenalo

    Former co-accused to Farouk Lawan, the ex-Chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, ‎Boniface Emenalo has said he accepted the $100,000 offered members of the committee by businessman, Femi Otedola with the intention of exposing his (Otedola’s) plot to influence the outcome of their investigation.

    Emenal, who the prosecution later substituted as its witness, leaving only Lawan as the accused, spoke Tuesday while testifying in Lawan’s trial before a High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) in Lugbe, Abuja.

    Lawan is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly “corruptly” collecting $500,000 out of the $3m bribe he requested from Otedola.

    Lawan is accused of accepting the bribe in exchange for the removal of Otedola’s company’s name, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from the list of firms indicted by the House committee for allegedly abusing the fuel subsidy regime in 2012.

    Emenalo, who had on March 7, 2016 given details of how he collected the $100,000 from Otedola in $100 bills, denied Tuesday, while being cross-examined by Lawan’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), some of the allegations against Lawan by the prosecution.

    The witness said, on Otedela’s invitations, he met with him (Otedole) on April 22, 2012 ‎and on Tuesday April 24, 2012‎ at his home in Aso Drive, Maitama, Abuja.

    He said at his first meeting with Otedola, they had discussions on issues including those relating to the work of the committee and areas he (Otedola) could make suggestions.

    Emenalo denied receiving ‎$20,000 bribe from Otedola during their first meeting.

    The witness confirmed that it was during the second meeting that Otedola gave him the $100,000 which he claimed to have handed to Lawan as exhibit.

    “The money I collected from Mr. Otedola was meant to be an exhibit to prove that members of the ad-hoc were being pressurised. I informed my chairman (Lawan) and handed over the money my chairman.”

    When asked to read part of the two statements he made to the police during the investigation, he insisted that Otedola gave the money to him as a bribe.

    The statements,‎ one of which was dated June 14, 2012 and the other undated were tendered by Ozekhome and admitted as exhibits without any objection from the prosecuting lawyer,  Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).

    Emenalo confirmed that Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd belonging to Otedola was one of the companies indicted by the ad-hoc committee for obtaining foreign exchange for importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) under the fuel subsidy scheme, but diverted it.

    He said Zenon got $232,975,385.13‎‎ foreign exchange, but failed to use the money for fuel importation.

    The witness also said Otedola wrote a complaint letter to the secretariat of the committee on April 18, 2012 asking for his company’s name to be removed from the list of indicted firms.

    He said his committee could not do anything on his case, because by then, the report had been submitted on the floor of the House.

    Emenalo denied calling the then Managing Director of Zenon Petroleum, Kareem Otaru, to ask for direction to Otedola’s house.

    When told that Otaru had claimed in his statement that that ‎he (the witness), was the one who called to ask for direction to Otedola’s house, Emenalo said, “never; I did not call him. He was the one who called me. I will be very surprised if he said I called him, asking for Mr. Otedola’s house,” he said.

    The witness equally denied collecting Otedola’s phone number from Otaru.

    In his evidence-in-chief, Emenalo had, on March 7, ‎ 2016 said, “I came across Femi Otedola during this assignment on April 24, 2012. I received persistent calls from Mr. Otedola in the morning and reported to Lawan and he asked him to play along with him and that he was with him the previous night.

    “When Otedola called again, he asked me to come over to his house, gave me the discription, when I got there, he also confirmed that he was with my chairman the previous night. He gave me two bundles of dollar bills in $100 denomination. Each bundle was $50,000 making it $100,000 that was not converted.

    “When I got back to the office, I wrote a memo forwarding the money to my chairman that same April 24, 2012 which he took from me.”

    A copy of the memo was admitted by the court in evidence. Emenalo concluded his evidence Tuesday when defence lawyer, Ozekhome told the court he was through with his cross examination of the witness.

    The trial continues today.

     

  • $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.

     

     

  • Alleged bribe: FG reopens Farouk Lawan’s trial Tuesday

    Alleged bribe: FG reopens Farouk Lawan’s trial Tuesday

    The Federal Government will Tuesday reopen the trial of a former Chairman, House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, , and its ex-Secretary, Boniface Emenalo for allegedly obtaining $620,000 bribe money from Femi Otedola, chairman of Forte Oil.

    Lawan and Emenalo were first arraigned on a seven-count charge before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama, Abuja on February 2, 2013.

    They were, in the charge filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Commission (ICPC) accused of receiving the $620, 000 as bribe from Otedola, ostensibly to exclude the names of Otedola’s companies – Zenon Petroleum and Gas as well as Synopsis Enterprises Limited – from the list of companies found to have allegedly defrauded the Federal Government of billions of naira in the petroleum subsidy scam, which their committee was created to investigate.

    Before the prosecution could proceed to trial, Lawan and Emenalo appealed the decision of a High Court, to the effect that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them

    On May 12, 2014 the Court of Appeal, Abuja dismissed their appeal on the ground that was without merit. But before proceedings could resume again at the trial court, Justice Oniyangi was elevated to the Court of Appeal, prompting the court’s Chief Judge to reassign the case to another judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Gudu division of the High Court of the FCT.

    Lawan and Emenalo later compelled Justice Banjoko to withdraw from the case when they wrote a petition against her, alleging that she was likely to be bias in handling the case.

    Lawan had in a petition addressed to the court’s Chief Judge,  sought the  re-assignment of the case to another judge on the ground  that Justice Banjoko was close to Otedola, who was the accuser and a proposed prosecution witness in the case.

    Shortly after the petition, Lawan’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) filed a motion and requested Justice Banjoko to disqualify herself from further handling the case on the same grounds of likelihood of bias.

    Justice Banjoko subsequently withdrew from the case on November 2014 and returned the case file to court’s Chief Judge.

    The Nation learnt Monday that the case has since been reassigned to Justice Angela Otaluka of the High Court of the FCT in Lugbe, Abuja, before who the case is to start afresh today.

  • For Farouk Lawan, it’s end of an era

    Famous member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Farouk Lawan, must now be coming to terms with the saying that the good things of life are transient. The erstwhile Chairman of the House Committee on Oil Subsidy suffered a defeat in the just concluded National Assembly elections.

    It came as a rude shock to many that the popular lawmaker could not survive the wind of change that blew across the country last week. A constant face in the lower chamber since 1999, many had expected him to vie for the governorship of his Kano home state before now. Unfortunately, the tides appear to have turned against him completely.

    Leading a number of lawmakers who tagged themselves the Integrity Group until he was fingered in a fuel subsidy bribery scandal, he had ensured the removal of the first female speaker of the chamber, Mrs Patricia Etteh, who was accused of inflating the contract for the renovation of her quarters a few months after she assumed office.

    But as it later turned out, the once vocal lawmaker has since lay low.

  • Mockery of the judiciary

    Mockery of the judiciary

    •The Lawan and Emenalo case indicates how mischievous delays and rigmarole subvert justice

    Practitioners of our criminal justice system make a mockery of the country, when criminal trials last for years; and officials of state must gear up to stop it. We consider it a travesty that politically exposed persons indicted for crimes, see it as a leisure walk, without any consequences. The result is that impunity reigns supreme. Shockingly, most times the pattern is the same, with undue delays in the trial, sabotage by state officials, and blackmail of judicial officials by accused persons, as the prime route to the mockery of our criminal justice system.

    The latest of such inanities called criminal trial is that of Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo who allegedly collected $620,000 as bribe from Femi Otedola, in order to remove the name of his company from those indicted by the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, for allegedly defrauding the country. Interestingly, there was an alleged video evidence of the bribery, in what the federal authorities claimed was a ‘sting operation’, which in any sane society would have made the trial fairly straightforward, so as to establish the culpability or innocence of the accused persons.

    But what is simple and straightforward in other climes assumes conspiratorial complications in Nigeria, particularly under the present administrators of our criminal justice system. We recall the trials of other politically exposed persons, like some of the former state governors, which have been stalled for one reason or another. While criminally orchestrated delays may top the list, among the commonest abuses of our court process, the levelling of unfounded allegations against judges, which turn out to be mere smokescreen to buy time or seek a more pliable judge, is one tactics that is so nauseating.

    The trial of Lawan and Emenalo which started under Justice Mudasiru Oniyangi, was aborted and started afresh, following the elevation of the judge to the Court of Appeal. Now, again after the loss of several months, Justice Adebukola Banjoko of an Abuja High Court has withdrawn from the trial to stem an unfounded allegation that sought to impugn the judge’s integrity. It is strange that the accused persons can write a petition alleging bias against the judge, only to withdraw it after the harm has been done, yet there is no punishment for such recklessness.

    Also worrying is that judges fall for such tricks without exercising their powers to punish for contemptuous conduct committed before a judge. Many accused persons, without any iota of proof, resort to this tactics, of accusing the judges of bias. And when the heat raised by such serious allegation is in the public domain, the accused or their lawyer simply apologises, while the judge most times timidly withdraws from the trial, which is what the accused merely wanted to achieve. We detest this use of blackmail to derail criminal trials, and urge the judges to be bold and strong in the face of such intimidation, and go ahead and punish for contempt in facia curia.

    We also condemn the seeming indifference of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to this criminal abuse of our judicial system. While the Federal Government is clearly complicit in some of the abuses suffered by the criminal justice system, at other times the AGF merely stands aloof, and watches our common humiliation, as a modern state, which is what those conducts amount to. As the legal precept posits, ‘justice delayed is justice denied’; and in this instance, both an accused and the state deserve to have a speedy and transparent trial at all times.

     

  • Farouk Lawan goes anonymous

    Notable member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Farouk Lawan, has adopted a reticent posture lately. The 2015 general election draws nearer and nearer but his next line of action remains vague. He was once seen by many political observers as the heir apparent to the governorship seat of Kano State. Those were the days he paraded himself as the leader of the integrity group in the House and was largely credited with the ouster of Nigeria’s first female speaker, Mrs Patricia Etteh.

    But how time changes! Farouk trod on the proverbial banana peel and his world could not remain the same again. He is still battling to extricate himself from the alleged bribery saga in the House’s probe of fuel subsidy matter allegedly involving billionaire businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola.

    The once vocal lawmaker has since gone anonymous. His record as one of the longest serving members of the House, however, remains intact. He has maintained his seat in the lower chamber of the National Assembly since he was first elected in 1999.

  • Alleged bribe: Farouk Lawan, Emenalo re-arraigned

    Alleged bribe: Farouk Lawan, Emenalo re-arraigned

     Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

    Former Chairman, House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan and its ex-Secretary, Boniface Emenalo were re-arranged on Wednesday before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gudu, Abuja.

    They were arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on receipt of bribe and abuse of office in relation to the allegation that they received $620, 000 as bribe from the Chairman, Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola.

    They allegedly collected the money to exclude Otedola’s companies – Zenon Petroleum and Gas as well as Synopsis Enterprises Limited – from the list of companies found to have allegedly defrauded the Federal Government of billions of naira in fuel subsidy.

    They were earlier arraigned on the same charge before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi (formerly of the FCT High Court, Maitama) before his elevation to the Court of Appeal some months ago.

    Justice Oniyangi’s elevation informed the transfer of the case to a new judge – Justice Adebukola Banjoko – before whom the accused persons took their fresh pleas on Wednesday.

    When the case was called, lead prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) informed the court that the business of the day was for the accused persons to plead to the charge afresh.

    When asked by the judge if there was any application pending at the Court of Appeal in relation to the case, he said no, a position the lead defence lawyer, O. Jolaawo also confirmed.

    Upon listening to the charge, read to them by an official of the court, Lawan and Emenalo pleaded not guilty.

    Jolaawo later applied to the court to allow the accused persons continue with the bail earlier granted them by the former trial judge.

     

  • Alleged $620,000 bribe: Farouk Lawan, Emenalo lose bid to stop trial

    Alleged $620,000 bribe: Farouk Lawan, Emenalo lose bid to stop trial

    The Court Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by former Chairman, House of Representatives  Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime and its ex-Secretary,  Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo.

    They had challenged the decision of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the effect that they both had a case to answer in relation to allegation that they received $620, 000 as bribe from the Chairman,  Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola, ostensibly to exclude the names of Otedola’s companies – 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.

    The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment yesterday, held that the appeal by Lawan and Emenalo was unmeritorous and consequently dismissed it.

    Progress had been halted in the case lately owing to the elevation of the trial judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi to the Court of Appeal.

    The court’ Chief Judge is expected to reassign the case to a new judge before whom the case will begin afresh.

    Prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) said he would do a letter to the Chief Judge asking him to re-assign the case.

    Lawan and Emenalo are being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Commission (ICPC) for allegedly receiving $620, 000 as bribe from the Chairman,  Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola, ostensibly to exclude the names of Otedola’s companies – Zenon Petroleum and Gas as well as Synopsis Enterprises Limited – from the list of companies found to have allegedly defrauded the Federal Government of billions of naira.