The charge stems from allegations by a businessman, Chief Femi Otedola, that Lawan demanded and received $620,000 as a bribe from him while he (Lawan) was the chairman of the House AdHoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime.
The arraignment of Lawan alongside the secretary of the adhoc committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, seems an indication of the Federal Government sudden readiness to up the tempo of its anti-corruption campaign.
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On Wednesday, a former Assistant Director of the Police Pension Office, John Yusuf, was rearraigned and remanded in prison custody barely 24 hours after an Abuja High Court handed him a light sentence after admitting to conniving with others to defraud the office and pensioners of N27.2bn.
Many civil society groups and Nigerians, including students, had denounced the Abuja High Court judgment, saying it was an indication of Federal Government’s unwillingness to take on the fight against corruption headlong.
Lawan and Emenalo, will however, be arraigned before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court today. Oniyangi had on Thursday granted the ICPC leave to file the seven counts against them.
Oniyangi said, “Upon careful consideration of the application and attached documents in support of same filed by the complainant’s counsel, leave is hereby granted to the complainant/applicant to prefer criminal charges under section 185 (b) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“The case is fixed for February 1, 2013 for arraignment.”
Lawan and Emanalo are to be tried for “Violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Act, 2000.”
The charge sheet 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).
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant, while Lawan and Emenalo are the defendants.
Curled from NAIJ.
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