Former Chairman of the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon Faruk Lawan and House Committee Clerk, Boniface Enemalo, have been remanded in Kuje prison by an Abuja High Court.
The duo of Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo had been arraigned by the office of the Attorney General Federation (AGF) on a seven count charge for allegedly soliciting and collecting a bribe of $620, 000 from Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola, following a probe by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy.
The arraignment followed claims by Otedola that Lawan demanded a bribe to de-list his company Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from firms indicted for fuel subsidy fraud.
Otedola claimed that he paid the sum to Lawan and Emenalo through a sting operation sponsored by the State Security Service (SSS) and even released audio tapes of his conversation with Lawan to buttress his allegation.
In a seven counts charge filed before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi on Wednesday, Lawan and Emenalo were charged under sections 26 (1), 8(1), 10 (1), 17 (1) and 23 (1) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
The Judge ordered the accused lawmakers to be remanded for one week in Kuje Prisons, Abuja, pending the determination of their bail application on February 8th.
Lawan in prison?. Impossibility becoming possibility