Subsidy Probe: Farouk Lawan denies $600,000 scam video clip

The embattled chairman of the Adhoc committee that investigated the fuel subsidy regime, Farouk Lawan, yesterday described his $600,000 bribery scandal as the reminiscence of the video clip of a phantom coup against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during the military era.

Lawan in a statement made available to African Examiner, however debunked the alleged bribery scandal awash in the media at the weekend.

The statement reads: "My attention has been drawn to several newspapers and internet stories alleging that a prominent member of the House Adhoc Committee on Petroleum subsidy demanded and received the sum of $600,000.00 as bribe from an oil marketer.

"I wish to categorically deny that I or any member of the committee demanded and received any bribe from anybody in connection with the fuel subsidy probe and I believe this is evident from the thorough and indepth manner the investigation was carried out and the all encompassing recommendations produced there from as approved by the whole House.

"In particular, I wish to refer to the front page publication in the Leadership Weekend newspaper of 28th April 2012 captioned "Marketers offered subsidy committee plane-load of dollars"

where we alerted the public that a marketer promised to fly in a jet loaded with US Dollars which he "intended to share to both the House leadership and members of the Adhoc Committee" to influence the outcome of the report.

"The present mudslinging is not unexpected in view of the caliber of people whose actions and inactions were found wanting in the report.

"No amount of red herring and cheap blackmail will affect our resolve to continue to act in the best interest of the country with all the available information at our disposal. No doubt, the last has not been heard."

A member of the Lawan Farouk led Ad hoc committee is accused  of receiving N600,000 from one of the oil companies and unknowing  to him the transaction was recorded with  a pen camcorder

The money was first instalment of the $3 million bribe offered to be paid by an Oil baron  so as to exonerate his company in their report.

The house, however, said the bribery allegation rocking the committee is not enough to drop the report of the subsidy investigation.

"These accusations, what ever their merits, do not detract from the quality of the work done by the committee. The report of that committee was adopted by the whole House and we stand by the resolutions of the House." the house spokesperson Hon Zakari Muhammed stated.

June 11, 2012