Witness insists Lawan, Emenalo collected $600,000 bribe from Otedola

A witness in the trial of former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Farouk Lawan, yesterday, told an FCT High Court in Lugbe, Abuja, that his investigations revealed that the case was that of demand and receipt.

The witness, David Igbodo, who is the Commissioner of Police (Legal Services) and Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in the office of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Investigation Unit, said Lawan was caught on tape video receiving $500,000 from businessman Femi Otedola.

Following allegation of bribery against Lawan by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), he is standing trial before Justice Angela Otaluka on a seven-count criminal charge bordering on obtaining money from Otedola in order to doctor the committee’s report in favour of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited.

ICPC is prosecuting Lawan for allegedly collecting $500,000 out of $3million bribe he allegedly requested from Otedola in exchange for the striking out of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from the list of firms indicted by the House committee for alleged abuse of the fuel subsidy regime in 2012.

At the resumed trial yesterday, the Defence counsel, Benson Igbanoi, objected to the admissibility of a document tendered by the prosecution counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN.

Awomolo had tendered a letter dated April 19, 2012 signed on behalf of Forte Oil and presented the document along with Exhibit PW2L.
Exhibit PW2L is a letter written by the defendant on July 16, 2012 to the police to investigate the said document dated April 19, 2012 giving reason the case of Otedola of Zenon and Forte Oil was reviewed by the House.

Igbanoi argued that the document was a letter addressed to the chairman, House Adhoc Committee on Subsidy Regime in his official capacity which made it a public document. He said it therefore required certification to make it admissible as required by Section 102 and 104 of the Evidence Act in combined effect. He urged the judge to reject the document.

But Justice Otaluka, in her ruling on admissibility of the document, however, said the issue of certification did not arise in the circumstance because the counsel was only tendering the document as acquired. The judge ruled that the document was not obtained from a public officer and therefore did not invoke section 102 and 104 of the Evidence Act as argued by the defence.

“It is my strong view and opinion that the document dated April 19, 2012 referred to in the letter dated July 16, 2012 is admissible,” she ruled. The document was admitted into evidence as Exhibit PW2P.

The witness, in his concluding statement, said the defendant collected $500,000 while Boniface Emenalo also demanded and collected $100,000 as secretary of the Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime.

The witness added that the defendant did not deny collecting the money but said it was for the purpose of using it as an example.Justice Angela Otaluka therefore granted the application for adjournment. Trial continues today (Wednesday).

While the prosecution closed his examination of the witness, the defence counsel informed the court that he would be unable to proceed with its cross examination.

Igbanoi said the defence counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), for whom he was taking brief, asked the indulgence of the court to have the cross examination conducted himself. Ozekhome, he said, was before another High Court in Ado Ekiti and had made the necessary communication to Awomolo.Igbanoi thereafter made an application to the court for an adjournment.