The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, sentenced Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives, to seven years’ imprisonment for receiving N500,000 bribe while serving as the chairman of the House’s ad-hoc committee investigating the fraud around fuel subsidy in 2012.
Angela Otaluka, the trial judge, found Mr Laman guilty of all the three counts of corruption and bribery.
Delivering judgment in the case, Ms Otaluka said Mr Lawan demanded N3 million and received $500,000 from Femi Otedola, a Nigerian billionaire oil mogul in 2012.
He took the bribe to remove Mr Otedola’s oil company, Zenon Oil and Gas, from the list of firms indicted for fraud in the fuel subsidy regime, the judge ruled.
‘Mr Integrity, cap banker’
PREMIUM TIMES had detailed how Mr Lawan, was seen in a video clip concealing wads of dollar bills he took from Mr Otedola in his cap.
He later replaced the cap on his head after stuffing it with the foreign currency notes.
The prosecution said the video clips were recorded at Mr Otedola’s Abuja residence in a sting operation organised along with the State Security Service (SSS).
The court was told Mr Lawan was captured during his visits to Mr Otedola to negotiate and take the bribe.
Part of the clips were tendered as evidence and played in the open court for the view of the judge and others witnessing the proceedings at the time of the trial.