Subsidy Fraud: Court rejects travel bid by Mahmud Tukur, Arisekola’s son

Mahmud Tukur, son of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Abdullahi Alao, son of Ibadan based businessman, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao, failed to get a Lagos High Court in Ikeja to grant them leave to travel abroad

Justice Lateefat Folami, told the accused persons including Felix Ochonogor, who are directors of one of the oil companies indicted in the oil subsidy scam, Oil Marketing and Trading Companies (OM&Ts), to wait until their trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo resumes from his annual vacation to hear the application.

Justice Folami, while ruling on the application by the trio, seeking the permission of her court to travel abroad for Hajj and business trip, said that she cannot overrule an earlier order granted by the trial courts which adjourned the matter till November 13, 2012. Folami said that she could not grant their application to travel outside the country, since Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who ordered the seizure of their travelling documents did so to ensure that they appear for their trial on the fixed dates. The court also held that allowing them to travel for Hajj rites which would begin in October will clash with the November dates earlier fixed for trial by the trial Judge and that the dates allegedly meant for their business trip abroad has been overtaken by events.

Subsidy Scam: Activist disagree with Police on Lawan’s Trial

A human rights activist, Mr. Kayode Ajulo has disagreed with an alleged decision of the police authorities to put on hold trial of the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk Lawan, over the $620,000 bribery scandal.  Ajulo who is legal practitioner, described the reports of police to wait for the legal advice of the Attorney-General as tantamount to double standard. The activist said by the nature and form of the bribery case, it is quite clear that the police and even the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) have constitutional powers to prosecute the matter.

According Ajulo, “the alleged report that the police was waiting for the Attorney-General’s legal advice on Lawan’s bribery scandal is rather unfortunate as it has no basis in the Nigerian jurisprudence. As a lawyer, I saw the police position on this as double standard based on the personalities involved, The matter nevertheless is common criminal offence provided for in our penal/criminal code.  One therefore wondered if every common case of graft is sent to the AGF for legal advice, how many of such cases will be prosecuted.”