Halliburton: FG pleads for more time

The Federal Government on Tuesday asked Nigerians to be patient with the investigation into the Halliburton bribery scam, promising to reveal the names of Nigerians involved ‘as soon as possible.’

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President Umar Yar‘adua

Speaking at the inauguration of the committee set up by President Umaru Yar’Adua to investigate the bribery scandal, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), said that the anger expressed by Nigerians on the scandal was justified.

“The widespread anger and condemnation which the scandal has generated among Nigerians is justified because transnational corporations such as Halliburton that masterminded the scheme to bribe Nigerians are expected to observe the highest ethical standards at home,” he said.

The minister said that Nigerians involved in the scam also deserved to be condemned for the part they played in it.

He said, “That is why it is important for their identities to be unveiled as soon as possible.”

Aondoakaa said that the United States Attorney-General had acknowledged receipt of the request for mutual legal assistance.

He expressed confidence that his counterpart in the US would respond positively to the request.

The minister noted that the desire to unmask those implicated in the bribery scandal had been so strong that many Nigerians had “understandably become impatient with the due process of law, preferring the adoption of other informal or unorthodox means to achieve this goal.”

He justified the inauguration of the investigation committee on the need to get vital evidence that would be required to prosecute those found to have compromised themselves.

The committee is headed by the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, and has the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, a representative each from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigerian Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Security Service.

The terms of reference of the committee are:

(a) To examine the circumstances surrounding the Halliburton bribery scandal in the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas Project;

(b) To liaise with appropriate agencies within and outside Nigeria to ensure disclosure of the names of Nigerians involved/implicated in the Halliburton bribery scandal;

(c ) To establish the extent of involvement or culpability of any Nigerian in the bribery scandal and the sums of money allegedly paid out to any persons in Nigeria by Halliburton as bribes in respect of the Bonny LNG Project, and

(d) To liaise with the Swiss authorities with a view to tracing and recovering any sums stashed in Swiss banks for the benefit of those involved in the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas Project bribery scandal.

The committee has eight weeks from the date of inauguration within which to complete its assignment and submit its report.

Aondoakaa said that the report would be submitted to the President.

Meanwhile, a House of Representatives member Mr. Henry Dickson, has urged President Yar‘Adua to extend the power of the investigative panel on the scandal.

He argued that it would amount to a waste of Nigeria‘s scarce resources to constitute another panel in the future on any of the other bribery scandals.

Dickson, the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, spoke ahead of Tuesday’s inauguration of the panel constituted by Aondoakaa.

Dickson said, “I agree with the investigative team the government set up. But my only request is that the government should also investigate the Wilbros and Siemens bribery scandals at the same time.

“It should be a holistic and comprehensive investigation. I believe it would be better for this investigative panel to also examine all the reports at the same time.

“We do not need to wait for another time to think of a high committee to look at the embarrassing reports. The sooner we get to the bottom and people are punished for it, so much the better for the image of this country.”

He also expressed confidence in the membership of the panel and charged the citizens to remain vigilant as it followed the job of the panel.

He promised to lead the committee on Justice, as soon as the House of Representatives reconvened, to engage in a dialogue with the AGF on the need to empower the panel to extend its investigation to unravel the identities of Nigerians involved in the other scandals for prosecution.