$3m Bribery Scam: S’Court Affirms Lawan's 5-year Jail Term
*Says failure by trail court to grant Allocutus did not vitiate guilty sentence
Nigeria's Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld the judgement and subsequent 5-year sentenced passed on the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy probe, Hon Farouk Lawan, for bribery.
The affirmation decision was handed down unanimously by a five-member panel which also dismissed an appeal for clemency by the former lawmaker as lacking in merit.
Lawan, who has been in prison custody since 2021, filed to challenge his conviction, contending among others, that the trial court did not allow him to make an Allocutus (Leniency) plea by the trial court before jailing him.
While delivering the lead judgement however, Justice Tijjani Abubakar, averred that the said failure to grant an Allocutus did not vitiate the sentence passed on the Appellant.
An FCT High Court sentenced Lawan to a seven-year prison jail on June 22, 2021 for demanding $3m from Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Chief Femi Otedola.
The court said money was demanded in order for the probe panel to give Otedola's company a clean bill of health in the fuel subsidy probe initiated by the House in 2012.
The court ruled that the former law maker acted in breach of section 17 (1) (a), section 8(1) (a) (b) (ii), and section 23 (i) of the Corrupt practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000, an offence that is punishable under section 8 (1) 17 (1) and 23(3) of the same Act.
Noting that it was satisfied with prosecution arguments and evidences particularly of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, which it said successfully established a criminal case against the Defendant, the court went on to convict Lawan on all the three-count charges preferred against him.
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