Why $620,000 bribery scandal probe is stalled — Police
The
police on Monday said they would ensure a thorough investigation of the
$620,000 bribery scandal involving the former chairman of the House of
Representatives on Fuel Subsidy, Mr. Farouk Lawan.
The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer,
Force Headquarters, Mr. Frank Mba, in a telephone interview with in our
correspondent in Abuja, explained why the police had not concluded the
investigation a month after it began.
“We do not want to conduct hurried
investigation that will not help the course of justice. We will ensure a
thorough investigation,” he said.
He stated that the investigation would be conducted in a way that would ensure justice.
Mba dismissed a claim that the police would
hand over the case to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other
Related Offences Commission.
He said, “I don’t know where people got that information from. It is not fundamental to our investigation.”
The DFPPRO said the Chairman of the House
Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba, who
was interrogated by the Police Special Task Force on Tuesday, gave
information that would assist in the investigation.
Jagaba had denied collecting the $620,000 bribe money from Lawan.
Also at a press conference in Abuja on
Thursday, he threatened to sue Lawan over his statement that he (Lawan)
gave him the money.
Mba declined to comment on whether other
members of the fuel subsidy committee would be invited but said the STF
would soon round off its investigation.
He said, “It is difficult to put a time
frame on it (when the investigation will be concluded). What I can
assure you is that we will always balance what we give the media with
what can assist the course of justice.”
Our correspondents learnt that members of the Lawan-led committee would be invited by the STF this week.
It was learnt that after the interrogation
of the committee members, Lawan and the Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas,
Mr. Femi Otedola, might be invited again.
Investigations showed that the State
Security Service would this week, hand over the original copy of video
containing what transpired between Otedola and Lawan to the police.
