A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Apo, on Tuesday, convicted and sentenced the former Chairman of then House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy probe, Mr. Farouk Lawan, to seven years imprisonment.
The Court, in judgement that was delivered by Justice Angela Otaluka, found the four-term lawmaker for Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State, guilty of demanding an aggregate sum of $3million from Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Chief Femi Otedola, to give his company a clean bill of health in the fuel subsidy probe the House of Reps initiated on 2012.
It held that the Defendant 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, and committed an offence punishable under section 8 (1) 17 (1) and 23(3) of the same Act.
The court said it was satisfied that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, successfully established a criminal case against the Defendant.
The Defendant was convicted on all three-count charges the ICPC preferred against him.
Whereas the Defendant was handed 7 years jail term on counts 1 and 2 of the charge, the court sentenced him to 5 years on count 3.
Justice Otaluka held that the sentence would run concurrently.
