$620,000 Scandal: Lawan might be Exonerated: Report Ready for Hearing

Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges that probed the allegations that the suspended chairman, House Ad Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the Subsidy Regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, collected bribe during its probe of fuel marketers, is ready for submission.

The report, which was gathered might exonerate the beleaguered lawmaker, who was also suspended as the chairman, House Committee on Education, will be submitted any time after the House resumes plenary on November 8.

It was concluded that Otedola might have inadvertently given Lawan an escape route when he (Otedola) refused to hand over to the committee evidence to substantiate his allegations that Lawan and Emenalo received a total of $620,000.

Otedola had argued that the committee had ulterior motives by its insistence on conducting the investigation behind closed doors.

However, several probes have not been able to establish the whereabouts of the $620,000, as Lawan has stuck to his claim that he gave it to the House Committee Chairman, Narcotics Drugs and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba, while the latter has maintained that he did not receive any money from him. Source