Pascal Oparada
A Nigerian politician, Farouk Lawan, was today sentenced to seven-year in prison for bribery.
Lawan was the outspoken chairman of the fuel subsidy probe committee in 2012 instituted by the House of Representatives.
The committee found some oil companies culpable of defrauding the Federal Government through spurious subsidy claims. Zenon Petroleum and Gas Company, belonging to Femi Otedola, was also found culpable.
In a leaked audio, Femi Otedola had called Lawan and told him that he had a gift for him. He told the lawmaker that he had gift $500,000 for Lawan. Lawan responded that he would send one TJ to collect the money.
The committee enjoyed wide public approval of the committee’s work, with Mr Lawan appearing strict during public hearings on the matter.
Otedola’s encounter with the former lawmaker involving was a “sting operation” to collect evidence, the State Security Service later told the court.
