Indications emerged on Friday that the 620, 000 dollars subsidy bribe money collected by the former Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk Lawan, can no longer be recovered as the Police have concluded that the money has been spent.
This is coming as sources close to Saturday Tribune revealed that final reports of the subsidy bribe investigation is being prepared with a view to meet Lawan’s lawyers who are believed ready for legal battle on the matter.

The source said that conclusion was arrived at, following realisation by Hon. Lawan that his continued insistence that he would bring the money was a ploy to delay Police from concluding its investigation.

It was learnt that the Police authorities are now perfecting their legal front with a view to nipping in the bud, any loophole that Lawan’s lawyers may want to exploit during prosecution of the case.

“The only rope that is being held by Lawan, which was in his statement that he handed over the bribe money to Hon. Adams Jagaba, Chairman, House Committee of Financial Crimes, has been investigated and trashed out with all parties making their statements on that issue,” a source said.

“We are tired of seeing him everyday and he continued telling us he will bring the money. We know his gimmick because he believes that without the exhibit the police cannot prosecute him successfully but let us wait and see.”

“It will now be the turn of the courts to decide on the findings of the Police investigation. We have done a job that will be difficult to fault. We have overwhelming evidence even before now, just that we wanted to plug any probable loop hole,” the source told Saturday Tribune.

It will be recalled that oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, had claimed that Hon. Lawan took 620,000 dollars bribe from him under pressure to enable him remove name of his company among those that benefitted illegally from fuel subsidy fund and that he had audio and visual evidences to proof his claims.

This is as he claimed that operatives of State Security Service (SSS) were in the know of the incident.

Comments (5)

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this no longer a news!.
written by crashernii, July 21, 2012

Are the citizens suprised of this new development,absolutely no!,we knew from the word go,these so called lawbreakers(makers) in the house of rep are rogues.they shared the money among themselves,the speaker included,thinking nothing will evetually happen,and they are almost been proved right,nothing will happen.nigeria is becoming the worst country in the world in term of law and order,this confirmed my fear.there are few dramas to conclude the whole comedy,we are waiting to see it.

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The Lawangate Saga
written by Emeka K Duru, July 21, 2012

If the Police wants to be watertight,they must also investigate Otedola is the giver of the bribe.What has not been proven is that this was a sting,as far as, the information in the public domain holds. Where did SSS get the money from? What was the mark on the monies,watermark or serial? At least some of those in circulation would have been recovered? When did SSS get involved and what was their tactics and under whose orders? Why were Otedola's companies' names dropped on the floor of the House? Were these companies indicted by the Presidential harmonization panel? Why hasn't the Police arrested Otedola? These are the points the Police have to consider if the have to bring criminal proceedings against Lawan.

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Just too incredible
written by Deola Mcaguns, July 21, 2012

How could marked money of a sting operation be spent! Too incredible for any wise man to jump up, and sing Hallelujah! The case is bungled, and I bet the defense attorneys will have the last laugh; a smirking laugh. ==deola mcaguns DALLAS, TX. (http://mcaguns.blogspot.com/)

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Incredible!!!
written by Deola Mcaguns, July 21, 2012

How could marked money of a sting operation be spent! Too incredible for any wise man to jump up, and sing Hallelujah! The case is bungled, and I bet the defense attorneys will have the last laugh; a smirking laugh. ==deola mcaguns DALLAS, TX. (http://mcaguns.blogspot.com/)

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fraud
written by de king, July 21, 2012

i believe both the giver and the receiver of the bribe money in question are guilty of the offence, the giver knows his oil company broke the law that was why he accepted to give the bribe under the protection of the sss. the two parties must face the wrath of the law, though we know that they must be freed at last.

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