FaroukGate: “The $620,000 has disappeared,” Police claim

Indications emerged on Friday that the 620, 000 dollars subsidy bribe money collected by the former Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk Lawan, can no longer be recovered as the Police have concluded that the money has been spent.

This is coming as sources close to Saturday Tribune revealed that final reports of the subsidy bribe investigation is being prepared with a view to meet Lawan’s lawyers who are believed ready for legal battle on the matter.

The source said that conclusion was arrived at, following realisation by Hon. Lawan that his continued insistence that he would bring the money was a ploy to delay Police from concluding its investigation.

It was learnt that the Police authorities are now perfecting their legal front with a view to nipping in the bud, any loophole that Lawan’s lawyers may want to exploit during prosecution of the case.

“The only rope that is being held by Lawan, which was in his statement that he handed over the bribe money to Hon. Adams Jagaba, Chairman, House Committee of Financial Crimes, has been investigated and trashed out with all parties making their statements on that issue,” a source said.

“We are tired of seeing him everyday and he continued telling us he will bring the money. We know his gimmick because he believes that without the exhibit the police cannot prosecute him successfully but let us wait and see.”

“It will now be the turn of the courts to decide on the findings of the Police investigation. We have done a job that will be difficult to fault. We have overwhelming evidence even before now, just that we wanted to plug any probable loop hole,” the source told Saturday Tribune.

It will be recalled that oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, had claimed that Hon. Lawan took 620,000 dollars bribe from him under pressure to enable him remove name of his company among those that benefitted illegally from fuel subsidy fund and that he had audio and visual evidences to proof his claims.

This is as he claimed that operatives of State Security Service (SSS) were in the know of the incident.

 
Source: Saturday Tribune