Again, Farouk Lawan fails to open defence in alleged $620,000 subsidy bribery case

The trial of former member, House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, has again been adjourned and for the third time consecutively as his defence team failed to open his defence in his trial for an alleged infraction in the fuel subsidy regime.

The four-term member of the House of Representatives and former lawmaker, who represented Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State between 1999 and 2015, in the case marked FCT/HR/CR/76/13, was alleged to have demanded $3 million for himself from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Femi Otedola.

He was alleged to have collected $620,000 out of the amount with a motive to remove Otedola’s companies’ names from a list of firms indicted by the ad-hoc committee for allegedly abusing the fuel subsidy regime in 2012.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

However, on resumption of the case yesterday, Godwin Iyinbor, who held the brief for Ozekhome, said that the defence was yet to serve the subpoena on the two witnesses.

He, therefore, sought for an adjournment to enable them do the needful by mobilising the court bailiff to serve the subpoena on the witnesses.

The prosecution counsel, Fatogun Eyitayo, holding the brief for Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), opposed the application for adjournment, saying that at the last adjourned date of February 11, 2020, the court indicated that that would be the last adjournment to be granted the defendant.

Justice Angela Otaluka, however, stated that the failure of the defence to serve the subpoena applied for was deliberate.

She stated that the case was a criminal matter, which ought to be held on day-to-day basis in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (AJCA).