Attempts by former chairman House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on federal government fuel subsidy investigation Hon Farouk Lawan to exonerate himself of bribe taking offence he willingly committed in 2021 has been rebuffed as Supreme Court on Friday affirmed his five years jail term.
The apex court held that Lawan appeal against the five years jail term passed on him in 2021 by Federal Capital Territory FCT High Court that was affirmed by Court of Appeal Abuja Division on February 24, 2022 represents the true position of the law.
In the lead judgement prepared by Justice John Okoro that was read by Justice Tijani Abubakar, the apex court resolved all the three issues raised in the appeal by appellant counsel Chief JB Daudu SAN, against the appellant.
“It is crystal clear from the records of the two courts below that their decisions cannot be faulted. I find that there is no merit in this appeal .I affirmed the decision of the court below.”Consequently, this appeal is dismissed, the court held.
Justice Abubakar said other justices on the panel : Uwani Abba-Aji , Helen Ogunwumiju, Ibrahim Saulawa and him self agreed with the judgement. Abubakar added that although lawyers are in business they owned the court duty to stop dragging unmeritorious appeals to the apex court.
Lawan , currently serving five years jail term in Kuje prison had sought to set aside the February 24, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, after the appellate court discharged him on two court of seven years jail sentence.He was left with the conviction on the third count of five years sentence.
Recalled that Lawan was in 2021 arraigned before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ,ICPC, for soliciting bribe to remove Femi Otedola and his company Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the list of companies that were alleged to be involved in fuel subsidy fraud.
Trial court Judge, Angela Otaluka, in her judgment, found Lawan guilty and noted that the evidence listed and submitted before the court by the prosecution counsel remained unshaken during cross-examination.
The judge also noted that the conduct, responses and submissions of the defendant and witnesses in the case established the charge in count one, which stated that Lawan demanded the $3m bribe.
The court also found that Lawan collected the sum of $500,000 as bribe to remove Otedola and his company from the list of persons and organisations indicted for the fuel subsidy scam as seen in evidence contained in a CCTV video clip .