Channels Television yesterday obtained the
recorded audio conversation which transpired between both men as reported in
the Sunday Vanguard edition of June 17, 2012.
Sunday Vanguard’s report had exclusively
disclosed that Hon. Farouk, whether acting on premonition or instinct, decided
against going to the airport to collect the alleged of $2.5m – having allegedly
collected $500,000, earlier.
The Sunday Vanguard report of June 17, reads:
“Now, whether Farouk had a premonition that he was likely to be set up or that he just didn’t want to be spotted at the airport in the company of Otedola, he simply refused to meet Otedola at the airport afterwards.
“Now, whether Farouk had a premonition that he was likely to be set up or that he just didn’t want to be spotted at the airport in the company of Otedola, he simply refused to meet Otedola at the airport afterwards.
”Instead, according to records of the telephone
conversation that was bugged, Farouk instead suggested that he would send a
third party to collect the money.”
According to the recordings, he gave the
telephone numbers of the nominee.
He, according to the recorded conversation
between him and Otedola, actually spelt the name of the nominee to Otedola.
”But all these were activities in futility.
”The high command of the SSS would not have a third party collect the balance of $2.5m.
”The high command of the SSS would not have a third party collect the balance of $2.5m.
”A senior security source told Sunday Vanguard
that the reason why the airport operation was aborted was that since it was
Farouk that was being expected to show up and he was now planning to send
another party, there was no need to continue.
” Had he shown up and collected the money, he
would have been arrested immediately, a source confirmed.”
In the recording, the voice said to be
Otedola’s asks how the outstanding bribe money should be delivered as Lawan is
unavailable.
The audio conversation started with the
MD/CEO, Zenon Oil and Gas, Femi Otedola saying he did not want to take the
money to his house. “I don’t want to take it to my house; it is a lot of money”
he said.
Then the lawmaker replied that he was on his
way out and by the time he returned, he would have to head to the chambers of
the House of Representatives.
Otedola then asked, if he should reschedule
his planned trip to China, but Farouk said no and offered to bring in a third
person to collect the bribe.
The lawmaker gave the phone numbers
08036513355, naming the person as TJ.
Acknowledging the transaction, Farouk
responded affirmatively to Otedola’s remark that if he received the initial
payment, then there would be a balance of $2.5 million, saying “that’s right”
while he said, he would be calling the third person to ensure the collection of
the initial payment.
The conversation verbatim
Otedola: How are you sir? I don’t want to
bring it to my house
Lawan: Oh, you would take it to your house
Otedola: No, I don’t want to bring it to my
house; it is a lot of money
Lawan: err… so where? Because I’m rushing to
the… they are at the airport now?
Otedola: ? Yes they are in the airport in the
aircraft
Lawan: Well, I can’t come over now and before
they can come over now unless I send somebody to but
I can’t because…by the time they come I should be…I have a lot of things to do myself
I can’t because…by the time they come I should be…I have a lot of things to do myself
Otedola: Is there anybody you think I can give
it to or maybe I should just postpone my trip to China till tomorrow?
Lawan: No, no it’s ok…I’ll arrange it with
someone…let me give you his number 080
Otedola: hold on hold on
Lawan: 08036513355
Otedola: (Repeats number after him)What’s the
name?
Lawan: TJ
Otedola: Sorry?
Lawan: aaarrh… TJ
Otedola: Ateezay?
Lawan: TJ!
Otedola: Teezay?
Lawan: No, Tj
Otedola: OK. So I will give him the balance;
that is erm… 2.5 million dollars, yea?
Lawan: that’s right. Hold on. I’m calling him
to be sure his phone is on…..
Lawan Farouk reacts
Meanwhile, Mr Farouk Lawan has reacted to the
audio conversation which was broadcast on Channels Television saying Mr Otedola
manipulated the audio and challenged the business mogul to produce the complete
audio video unedited and undoctored.
In a statement issued on behalf of the
lawmaker by his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, he said,
“we have listened to and watched the audio
with our client, Mr Farouk Lawan. On his instructions, we hereby state
that the audio is infertile, vague, puerile and inadmissible in evidence by any
Court Of Law or Tribunal.
“Professionally, Channels did make the vital
point that the audio was “purported to be their voices”. One simple question
here: where is the visual of the audio? Recall that Mr Otedola had told the
whole world that he used SSS to carry out a so called “Sting Operation”, which
showed Farouk Lawan not only pocketing the sum of N500,000 US Dollars,
but also putting some under his cap, in Mr Otedola’s Lagos home. On Farouk’s
instructions, we had debunked this allegation and challenged Mr Otedola, or the
Police and SSS to produce this complete audio video, unedited and undoctored.
“Mr Otedola had the opportunity of doing this
through Channels TV. But he did not. Rather, he brought highly doctored,
manipulated and incomprehensible voices purported to be his and Lawan’s. He
will certainly require forensic evidence to prove this to be true in this
highly technologised world of manipulative evidence that can easily turn a man
into a woman. Certainly, the audio was a sorry anti-climax to what Nigerians
had been expecting.
“Even at that, let us take the audio
“evidence” itself for whatever, it is worth. The conversation started somewhere
in the middle, not from the beginning and ended abruptly. Our client hereby
still challenges Mr Otedola to air the entire audio visual and also the
complete video for Nigerians to see the setting and environment in which
the alleged bribe took place, who said what, to whom and for what.
“Secondly, our client believes that the entire
footage is devilish, satanic, luciferous, mischievous and completely taken out of
context. Even then the audio shows that it is Mr Otedola offering to pay the
balance of the alleged bribe of N2.5 million US Dollars, not Mr Farouk Lawan.
“Even from what was said, there was no mention
of the purpose of the alleged balance of N2.5 million US Dollars, or any
mention of Mr Otedola’s indicted companies, Zenon Oil and AP Petroleum, Whose
desired removal from the Committee’s indicted companies list allegedly formed
the fulcrum of the bribe itself. If it was actually a “sting operation”, why is
it Mr Otedola and not the SSS officially releasing it on Channels TV? The
audio has raised more questions and doubts than answers. Mr Farouk Lawan says
it is a doctored anti-climax”.
Vanguard, By
Uduma Kalu
Pretty portion of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to
ReplyDeleteassert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your weblog posts.
Any way I will be subscribing in your feeds or even I achievement you get entry to consistently
fast.
Here is my blog post :: wiliam