A prosecution witness, Mr. David Igbodo has told an FCT High Court that Honourable Farouk Lawan is yet to refund the total sum of $600,000 he allegedly collected from Mr. Femi Otedola as bribe during House of Representative’s review of fuel subsidy claims.
Mr. Igbodo, a Commissioner of Police in charge of Police Legal Services was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Mr. Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Daily Trust reports.
The witness told an FCT High Court that the defendant entered an undertaking with the Police on the 16/06/2012 to refund the $500,000 he collected from Otedola and another $100,000 received from Otedola through one Emenalo Boniface.
He said his team invited Mr. Femi Otedola for questioning and he found out that there was an allegation that the defendant demanded for the sum of $3million from Otedola to enable him (the defendant) remove the name of Zenon Oil & Gas and AP Petroleum belonging to Otedola from the list of indicted oil firms involved in fuel subsidy scam.
According to him, on 24/04/2012 around 7am, the defendant went to Otedola’s home where Otedola gave him $500,000 and the defendant was caught on video due to a sting operation by DSS because Otedola had earlier written to DSS to intimate the agency who told him (Otedola) to play along.
The witness added that, around 10am on the same date, Emenalo Boniface, the Secretary to the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on fuel subsidy also visited the residence of Otedola where he also collected $100,000 and was also caught on video.
“I found out that the $100,000 was taken to the defendant. And I also found out that the defendant did not refund the total sum of $600,000 to the Police despite entering an undertaking to refund the money.
“Interface with the defendant was done on two occasions. The first occasion is what I classify as recording of statements by the defendant and it happened like up to 6 times. The second interface was the issue of bringing the defendant and Hon. Adams Jagaba together as it relates to the statement made by the defendant that he handed over the $600,000 to Hon. Jagaba, who was the then Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Economic Crimes”, he said.
Earlier, the defense counsel, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN) objected to the prosecution’s attempt to tender as evidence a sum of $10,000 allegedly recovered from the defendant’s house in the year 2012 because, according to him, “there is no nexus to show the same money presented is the same amount collected from the defendant four years ago; neither is there any mark to confirm that the money was retrieved from the defendant.”
Justice Angela Otaluka then adjourned the case to the 30th of May, 2016 in order to allow the prosecution to serve the defense team with copies of other documents they wish to tender to the Court.
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