Farouk Lawan
Seven years after, Farouk Lawan, a former Chairman of the House or Representatives Ad hoc Committee on fuel subsidy, on Thursday filed a no-case-submission in the alleged $3 million bribe scam.
Lawan, through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, on Thursday, filed the matter before Justice Angela Otaluka.
Ozekhome in his submission argued that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has failed to solidly establish the defendant’s intent to commit the offence he was charged with.
He further stated that the prosecution’s witnesses gave conflicting statements about the amount Lawan was alleged to have collected .
Ozekhome also said that the video evidence the prosecution presented was blurry and could not prove that the content of the envelope Femi Otedola gave Lawan was money.
He stated that the failure of DSS to arrest Lawan immediately was enough evidence that they had no evidence.
The prosecution counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, however objected to the application.
He told the court that the defense’s failure to accept the video evidence as being valid doesn’t negate the fact that the evidence exists and is true.
He also said he has been able to prove that Lawan took money to perform a public duty that he was supposed to do.
The judge adjourned the case to Oct. 17 for ruling in the application .
Lawan is being prosecuted by the ICPC for allegedly collecting 500,000 dollars out of three million dollars bribe.
The money was said to have been requested to remove Otedola’s company’s name from the list of firms indicted by the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy in 2012.
