DSS gave me dollars to set trap for Farouk Lawan, Otedola tells court

Mr Femi Otedola, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a
former member of House of Representatives, Mr Farouk Lawan, over
bribery allegation has said the 500,000 dollars offered to the
defendant is from the Department of State Service (DSS).

Otedola disclosed this before Justice Angela Otaluka of the FCT
High Court, Apo on Monday while being cross examined by Mr Mike
Ozekhome (SAN), counsel to Lawan.

He said the money was given to him by the DSS to set a trap for
Lawan after he wrote a petition against him.

He accused Lawan of demanding 3 million dollars as bribe from
him to exonerate his oil company, Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, from
the alleged subsidy scam in 2012.

He further told the court that the 500,000 dollars was part
payment of the 3 million dollars being demanded by Lawan, which was
eventually given to him under the supervision of the DSS.

Otedola said he petitioned the DSS immediately Lawan demanded
for the bribe.

“Lawan said he was going to exonerate my company after giving
him the money, security cameras were mounted in my living room to
capture the exchange of money between me and the defendant.

“The video is with the DSS, the money was given to him in two
tranches $250,000 each,” he said.

When reminded by Chief Ozekhome, that the best time “to catch a
thief is when the operation is ongoing,” Otedola said he did not
know why DSS failed to arrest Lawan at that moment.

The Judge, however, adjourned the matter till March 8 for
continuation of cross examination of the prosecution witness.

Lawan is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices
and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly
collecting 500,000 dollars out of 3 million dollars bribe.

The money was said to have been requested to remove Otedola’s
company’s name from the list of firms indicted by the House of
Representatives Adhoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy in 2012.

NAN