The Federal Government on Thursday filed a seven-count charge against the suspended Chairman of the House Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Mr. Farouk Lawan and the committee’s Secretary, Mr. Boniface Emenalo for alleged $3million bribery.
It was gathered that Chief Femi Otedola, who gave the bribe, will not face trial because he reported every stage of the saga to security agencies.
The trial of the suspects begins on Friday (today) in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of the ICPC.
Lawan and Emenalo, will however, be arraigned before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court.
Oniyangi’s order reads, “Upon careful consideration of the application and attached documents in support of same filed by the complainant’s counsel praying this Honourable Court for the following order: Application for leave to prefer a criminal charge under Section 185(b) of the Criminal Procedure Code against the Accused.
“Leave is hereby granted to the Complainant/ Applicant to prefer a a criminal charge under Section 185(b) of the Criminal Procedure Code against Hon. Farouk M. Lawan and Mr. Emenalo Boniface in the High Court.
“The case is fixed for the 1st day of February, 2013 for arraignment.”
The charge sheet, dated January 29, 2013 and with reference number FCT/HC/CR/76/2013 was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mrs. O.O. Fatunde, on behalf of the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN).
Below are the charges:
COUNT ONE
“ That you, Hon. Farouk Lawan and Mr. Emenalo Boniface sometime in April 2012 or thereabouts at Abuja within the Federal Capital Territory did, while acting in the course of your official duties as Chairman and Secretary (respectively) of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime conspired between yourselves and with each other to corruptly obtain the sum of $3million for yourselves from Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited as inducement to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime’s Report and did cause the House of Representatives to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the said list and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) (c) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 8(1) of the same Act.
COUNT TWO
“That you Hon. Farouk Lawan (M), while being a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime sometimes April 2012 or thereabout at Abuja within the Federal Capital Territory under the Jurisdiction of this honourable Court did, while acting in the course of your official duty corruptly asked for $3million for yourself from Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited on account of intention to afterwards show favour to the said Mr. Femi Otedola by removing the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) (a) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 8(1) of the same Act.
COUNT THREE
“That you Hon. Farouk… corruptly agreed to accept the sum of $3million for yourself from Mr. Femi Otedola , the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited as an inducement to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17 (1) (a) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 17 (1) of the same Act.
COUNT FOUR
“That you Hon. Farouk… corruptly obtained $500,000 for yourself from Mr. Femi Otedola , the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited as an inducement to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17 (1) (a) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 17 (1) of the same Act.
COUNT FIVE
“That you Mr. Emenalo Boniface, while being a public officer , an Assistant Director and Secretary of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime sometime in April 2012 or or thereabout at Abuja within the Federal Capital Territory under the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did, while acting in the course of your official duty as Secretary of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime corruptly asked for the sum of $3million for yourself from Mr. Femi Otedola , the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited on account of afterwards showing favour to the said Mr. Femi Otedola by by removing the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the report of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) (a) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 8(1) of the same Act.
COUNT SIX
“That you Mr. Emenalo Boniface…was offered gratification by Mr. Femi Otedola , the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited and you failed to report the offer of gratification to any officer of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission or any police officer and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 23(1) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 23 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT SEVEN
“That you Mr. Emenalo Boniface…received the sum of $120,000 as gratification from Mr. Femi Otedola , the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited in order to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited from the report of the said House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 (a) (ii) of The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 23 (3) of the same Act.”
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