Appeal Court asks Lawan to enter defence in alleged bribery trial that has been on since 2012

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered a former member of the House of Representatives, ‎ Farouk Lawan, to enter his defence in the alleged bribery charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

Lawan, who was the chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee probing the alleged subsidy fraud in the country, was arraigned in 2012 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly collecting $500,000 bribe from a businessman, Femi Otedola.

Justice Angela Otaluka of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had in October last year dismissed the no-case submission filed by the defendant.

READ ALSO: ICPC set to re-arraign Farouk Lawan in court over $3m bribery scandal

On Tuesday, a three-man panel of the appellate court led by Justice Peter Ige upheld the lower court’s ruling and dismissed the appeal filed by the ex-federal lawmaker against the decision.

Justice Ige, who delivered the lead judgement, resolved all the four issues raised in the appeal against the defendant.

He declared that the appeal lacked merit and ordered the defendant to return to the FCT High Court to open his defence on the matter.

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