A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja has convicted former member of the House of Representatives from Kano State, Farouk Lawan for receiving $500,000 bribe from a businessman, Femi Otedola.
Justice Angela Otaluka convicted Lawan on the three counts bordering on corruption levelled against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
The judge sentenced him to seven years imprisonment in respect of counts one and two and five years on count three.
It would be recalled that Mr. Lawan, also called Mr. Integrity, chaired the House of Representatives committee that probed corruption in the country’s oil sector.
Many individuals and companies got rich by taking advantage of the oil subsidy programme by the Federal Government at the time.
The programme offered opportunity for fuel importers to get reimbursed for the shortfall in the cost of petroleum products to keep local prices of the products at regulated thresholds.
Many companies were alleged to have indulged in sharp practices including inflating the volume of the products imported and making claims for products that were never imported.
The committee that Lawan headed produced a report that disclosed that the huge scam cost the country about $6.8bn (£4.2bn).
The report listed a number of companies that allegedly indulged in the sharp practices at the expense of the country and recommended their prosecution.
Billionaire oil merchant, Femi Otedola, at the time alleged that Lawan demanded for a bribe of $3m in order to have his company, Zenon, removed from a list of those involved in the scandal.
The billionaire set up a surveillance system that ultimately caught the lawmaker collecting part of the bribe from him. He sent the video clip to law enforcement agencies, preparing the ground for Lawan’s trial.
“You Farouk Lawan… in the course of your official duty corruptly asked for the sum of $3m for yourself from Femi Otedola… to afterwards show favour to Femi Otedola,” a report quotes the charges read out in the Abuja High Court.
