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| Farouk Lawan |
Former chairman
of the House of Representative Committee Monitoring Fuel Subsidy, Farouk Lawan,
was again arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court at
Lugbe, Abuja. Faruk was arraigned on a three-count charge of obtaining money
from the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas, Femi Otedola, sometimes in April,
2012.
The accused,
who was docked for obtaining the sum of $500,000 as inducement from Otedola to
remove the name of his company from those indicted in the subsidy scam pleaded
not guilty to the three-count charge.
Prosecuting
counsel, Adeboyega Awomolo, told Justice A.O. Otaluka that he was withdrawing
the charges against the second accused person, Emmanuel Emenalo and is ready to
arraign Faruk Lawan for the offence. Justice Otaluka consequently dropped the
charges against Emenalo and ordered the prosecution to retain his international
passport and other travel documents.
Defence counsel, Ricky Tarfa, applied for bail
on liberal grounds for Lawan. Ruling on the bail application, Justice Otaluka
granted Lawan bail in the sum of N10million and sureties in like sum. The judge
ordered that Farouk’s international passport and all travel documents must be
deposited before the court registrar, while the sureties must be property
owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and must all be a level 14
officers in the employment of the Federal Government.
The trial judge
further ordered that the accused should seek the permission of the court before
travelling out of Nigeria. Justice Otaluka also ordered that Lawan be remanded
in prison custody until all the bail conditions are met, and consequently
adjourned the case till April 15 and 16, for the trial to begin.
When is the matter coming up next please
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