'Alleged' $3m Bribery Scandal Latest: House Of Reps Detached Itself From Lawan Farouk's Allegations

From Vanguard News
Embittered members of the House of Representatives, yesterday, distanced themselves from Lawan Farouk, chairman of the House committee that probed fuel subisdy, over alleged $3 million bribe scam and are asking him to bear his cross alone.

Lawan Farouk, however, has vehemently denied the allegation.

The latest allegation notwithstanding, the House members, it was learnt yesterday, were determined to keep the issues emanating from the investigations in focus and are set to trigger what sources described as option B aimed at prosecuting beneficiaries of the illegal subsidy claims.

The House member at the centre of the allegation had allegedly collected $600,000 as part payment of the $3 million bribe from an interested party in the investigations.

Members who spoke to Vanguard News, yesterday, expressed their disappointment on the action of the House official describing his recent explanations as “actions after the act.”

Especially scandalized it was learnt was Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who it was learnt has now faced the embarrassment of having the clean image he has otherwise cultivated tainted by the evolving development.

“The speaker is very disappointed but it is not as if he was totally surprised by the development and you know that is why some of his officials have continuously kept this man (suspect) at bay,” a close associate of the speaker told Vanguard yesterday.

Noting that it was the action of one man which cannot taint the image of the House, a key player in the House told Vanguard that the issue was for the indicted official to settle with the anti-corruption agencies.

“As for us this is an issue between him and the anti-corruption agencies, it is not for the House as there is no way that it can be proved that the House is connected to this mess,” the member told Vanguard.

Irrespective of the bribery allegation, Vanguard learnt of the determination of the House to press on with its charge against illegal beneficiaries of the subsidy scam with the instigation of a private prosecution of the alleged scammers.

“We are waiting for the executive to initiate action on the report but you know with their contradicting actions, it is now clear that nothing can come out from them, so we will activate our option B,” one member said.