The mystery over the whereabouts of the $620,000 bribe
suspended Chairman, Ad-Hoc Committee on the Monitoring Subsidy Regime, Hon.
Farouk Lawan, collected from oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola, to clear his
company of alleged fraud deepened yesterday as the person the embattled
lawmakers claimed he gave it to denied receiving it.
Lawan had claimed in a statement
shortly after the scandal broke that he wrote the Chairman, House Committee on
Drugs Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Hon Jagaba Adams Jagaba, informing him of
attempts to bribe him and he attached the money to the letter.
Jagaba, who had last week said that neither him nor any member of his committee was aware of the
letter Lawan, said he wrote, in a letter dated June 19, addressed to the House
Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, formally denied knowledge of the letter and
denied being in possession of the $620,000 bribe that was said to be in his
custody.
The letter, which was titled
“Re: Investigation Activities: Request for Handing Over of Exhibits in
Connection with a Case of Criminal Conspiracy Taking Gratification to
Pervert the Course of Justice read: “I wish to categorically and
unequivocally state that there was never a time I was in possession of the sum
of $620,000 or any other exhibits (in my personal capacity or official capacity
as Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes)
relating to the subject matter of the above investigation.
“I hope this explanation lays to rest
once and for all the claims that I or my committee is in possession of the sum
of $620,000 purportedly given as bribe to the Ad-hoc Committee on the
Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime.”
Jagaba’s letter was in response to
another letter from Tambuwal directing him to react to the claim by Lawan that
he (Jagaba) was in possession of the exhibit.
Tambuwal’s letter which was dated
June 18, and signed by his Special Adviser on Legal and Legislative
Matters, Hon. Chille Igbawa, was a response to a letter from the acting
Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, asking for the reaction of
the speaker to the bribery scam.
Abubakar’s letter, signed on his
behalf by Mr Ali Amodu, a Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Task
Force on Subsidy Bribe Investigation, had requested Tambuwal to
supply information on the $620,000 exhibit as well as any other material
evidence that may be of use to the ongoing police investigation.
Meanwhile, Lawan neither attended the
plenary sitting of the House yesterday nor was he at the Force
Headquarters.
He had told the police on Monday that
he would not be able to report at the Force Headquarters
yesterday because he would be attending the sitting of
the House to enable him to retrieve the $620,000 bribe so as to hand it
over to the police.
But
sources said the lawmaker was at home yesterday consulting with him lawyers and
receiving visitors, adding that the police were not expecting him yesterday,
otherwise he would have been there.
However, he is expected to report at the Force Headquarters today.
However, he is expected to report at the Force Headquarters today.