Farouk Lawan: I Received Money, Not Bribe

The suspended Chairman of the House Ad-Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of Subsidy Regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, yesterday opened his defence of the $620,000 bribery allegation levelled against him by the Chairman, Zenon Oil and Gas, Mr. Femi Otedola.

Lawan, who was interrogated behind closed doors by the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which began investigation into the allegation yesterday, said what he collected was money and not a bribe.

Restating his earlier statement to the media, Lawan said he collected $500,000 from Otedola not as a bribe but as exhibit that he planned to use as evidence of the attempt by the oil marketer to influence the report of the subsidy probe.

Otedola, in his account of the transaction between the duo, had claimed that Lawan made repeated demands of him for money to stop the ad hoc committee from indicting his company, adding that he had to bring in security agents who advised him to play along with the lawmaker in a bid to nail him.

The security agents, he added, provided the serialised dollar bills that were given to Lawan, who collected the money without knowing that he was being recorded.

A source told THISDAY that Lawan appeared confident throughout his session with the Ethics Committee, but he was rather evasive when asked about the whereabouts of the money he admitted to have collected.

Unlike in the past when he claimed that the money was with the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba, Lawan said the security agencies would establish the whereabouts of the money during their investigations.
On his part, Jagaba in different letters to the House Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had denied Lawan’s claim.

THISDAY checks showed that besides his oral testimony, Lawan also tendered documents said to contain call logs obtained from a telecommunication service provider to substantiate his claim that Otedola initiated the transaction and not him.

It was learnt that the committee might recall Lawan to give further clarifications on his testimony as the investigation progresses.

Earlier, Lawan, who had arrived at the venue of the committee at 1.05 pm, expressed surprise at the heavy media presence. He expressed pleasantries with his colleagues and reporters before taking his seat.

Chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Gambo Dan-Musa, gave a synopsis of the case under investigation and shortly after, ordered reporters to excuse the committee to enable it interrogate Lawan in camera.

Dan-Musa said the committee’s mission was to establish the facts of the bribery allegation and after a series of meetings, it decided to invite Lawan, Otedola and other stakeholders involved in the matter to appear before it at different times.

“The committee is set to carry out its assignment with a very high sense of commitment. We shall strive to be fair and just to all parties involved. It is our belief that at the end of the day, our report will meet the expectations of the House and indeed that of the Nigerian public,” Dan-Musa said.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, who addressed reporters later, said the decision to conduct the investigation secretly was to create a conducive atmosphere for Lawan and others to give their testimonies freely and without distraction.

“You know that it is an investigative hearing and we want to avoid a situation where his (Lawan) presentation would bungle certain people’s submissions.

“Of course, the police are doing their own investigations and they are doing that in camera. So we believe that this also should be done in camera to at least give everybody some protection and the freedom to say all that he or she knows.

“If you are sure there are cameras, there might be certain things witnesses might want to hide. So it is not as if we are trying to hide anything but we want to ensure that we do a thorough job of this investigation,” Mohammed said.

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Posted: at 29-06-2012 10:00 AM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

ole huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Posted: at 30-06-2012 01:44 PM (11 years ago) | Newbie

they are criminals ,from the head to the tail

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Posted: at 30-06-2012 02:05 PM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Yes he is right, he did not collect bribe from Odetola(the crook) he only collected money with which he intends to nail him before the panel of thieves and rogues, but he mistakenly put the money inside his babariga and aboki cap when he wanted to leave ODETOLA's house to avoid rain from touching the money. 

Chei NAIJA I HAIL THEE!!!

Just today we just heard that a man has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for fraudulently collecting military pension, but the thieves that are systematically stealing us dry are still allowed to roam about, and be investigated in a closed door meeting investigation and after this they will just shove it under the carpet and then the cake continues to go round.

Posted: at 30-06-2012 02:47 PM (11 years ago) | Upcoming

Story story, they are all thieves.

Posted: at 30-06-2012 03:17 PM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

This case is just a matter of THIEF CARRY, THIEF COLLECT.....Farouk you really fall my hand with all the respect I had for you, mennnn, there is no more saint oooo....so you are also one of the OLEs?  Na wa o

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Posted: at 30-06-2012 03:27 PM (11 years ago) | Hero

WHEN YOU DECEIVE PEOPLE YOU CONVENIENTLY DECEIVE YOURSELF. WHERE IS THE SIMPLE JUSTIFICATION TO WHAT YOU HAVE JUST CLAIMED? "…I RECEIVED MONEY, NOT BRIBE…" YOU OUGHT TO THINK FIRST AND THEN TALK, AND NOT TALK AND THEN THINK. NIGERIANS ARE NOT STUPID; NIGERIANS ARE THE MOST SENSIBLE PEOPLE ON EARTH. YOU ALL IN GOVERNMENT ARE ALL PART OF THE SAME HYPOCRISY AND CONFUSED IN THE SAME LIES. CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTENS ARE FAR CIVIL AND MORE ORGANIZED THAN YOU OLD DUPES. YOU ALL DECEIVE YOURSELVES NOT INNOCENT NIGERIANS. YOU ARE ALL INDEPENDENT FOOLS.

Posted: at 30-06-2012 03:59 PM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

this guy is damn stupid sha.... still talking?

Posted: at 30-06-2012 04:22 PM (11 years ago) | Hero

 d thing weh deh vex me bi say the bribe money no deh show for farouk body, honestly, if dat guy comot dat kaftan e wear, deh waka 4 road with ordinary t shirt, one go think say na person houseboy or gateman

Posted: at 30-06-2012 05:52 PM (11 years ago) | Gistmaniac

MONEY FOR WHAT? na him dey pay your salary?
OLE barawo. Nigerians are not fools

Posted: at 30-06-2012 07:01 PM (11 years ago) | Hero