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3 million dollars bribe scam: Farouk Lawan loses no-case submission

 FCT High court sitting in Apo on Thursday dismissed the no-case-submission filed by four term member, House of Representatives and Chairman Ad hoc Committee on fuel subsidy, Farouk Lawan on the alleged $3 miillion dollars bribery.

Lawan, through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome last Thursday filed a no-case submission in the alleged three million dollars bribe scam.

The sitting judge, Angela Otaluka, ordered Farouk to enter defense after ruling that submission filled by his counsel had no basis.

Farouk who was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) was alleged to have collected $500,000 bribe from Nigerian business mogul, Femi Otedola.

He was alleged to have demanded $3 million dollars from Otedola in order to have his company’s name removed from the names of companies indicted in the fuel subsidy scam in 2012.

Defense Counsel, Ozekhome, earlier in his submission told the court that the ICPC had failed to properly establish the defendant’s intent to commit the offense he was charged with.



He argued that the prosecution’s witnesses gave conflicting statements about the amount Lawan was alleged to have collected .

Ozekhome also said the video evidence was blurry and does not necessarily prove that the content of the envelope Otedola gave to Lawan was money but could have been anything else.




     

     

    He said that if the Department of State Services had any evidence they would have arrested Lawan immediately at the scene of the bribery which they claimed they set up.

    Adegboyega Awomolo, the prosecution counsel, however objecting to the application told the court that despite the defense’s failure to accept the video evidence it doesn’t negate the fact that the evidence exists and is true.

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    Adegboyega said that he has been able to prove that Lawan took money to perform a public duty that he was supposed to do.

    The judge however adjourned the case to November 11 for Lawan to start his defense .

    Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94

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