Farouk Lawan keeps waiting for his day in court

Trial of federal lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, who is being investigated for allegedly collecting $620,000 bribe, has continued to be delayed as police say investigation is yet to be concluded.

Lawan, former chairman of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, accepted collecting the money from oil baron, Femi Otedola, but claimed it was done to expose the billionaire’s corrupt tendencies.
Otedola, on his part, alleged that the lawmaker demanded for $3 million to remove his companies from the list of indicted firms. According to him, the bribe was given as part of a sting operation.
Frank Mba, police spokesperson, confirmed on Saturday that the police were yet to conclude investigations into the case. “Farouk Lawan still appears at the Force headquarters and we will continue to invite him until we have concluded investigations into the case,” he said.
The inability of Lawan to produce the bribe money has affected investigation into the matter and may affect the prosecution’s case when it gets to court. The lawmaker claims he handed the money over to House committee Chairman on Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Adams Jagaba. However, Jagaba has severally refuted this claim.
Earlier reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has taken over the matter with the aim of commencing legal proceedings have also been refuted. Folu Olamiti, spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, said he had no details on the matter. “You people will be briefed by any of the anti corruption agencies that will try the matter when everything is in place,” he said.
Lawan, who recently travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj, reported at Police Headquarters on Monday in fulfilment of one of the conditions the police gave him before travelling.

Source