[size=18pt]Halliburton: How Abacha, Etete, others shared $180m – Report[/size]

ABUJA— FOLLOWING last week’s revelation by the United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders, that documents and evidence needed by the Nigerian authorities to prosecute culprits in the $180million Halliburton scandal have been made available, Vanguard can report authoritatively that the Federal Government has drawn up a list of indicted persons recommended for prosecution for allegedly sharing the bribe money.

The list includes such names as former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal A. D. Bello alleged to have collected $15. 7million using his foreign account, for himself and a former military head of state; Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, elder brother of the Niger State governor and former federal permanent secretary alleged to have collected over $35million for himself and others including a former military head of state, and Alhaji Abdukadir Abacha, brother of late head of state also alleged to have collected $7million using his foreign firm as front.

Other names on the list are a former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Dan Etete, alleged to have collected $3. 5million, using his oil firm as front; former Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Jackson Gaius Obaseki, alleged to have  facilitated the collection of about $11million that was shared between Bodunde Adeyanju, former Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Minister of State for Defence, Lawal Batagarawa, and a frontline political party.

Also contained in the list was Alhaji Gidado Bakare of the defunct CITI Bank who was detained for over one month during investigation. He was alleged to have collected more than $60million for himself, a former military head of state and other prominent persons in the North.

Collection and disbursement of funds
Bakare was alleged to have used two companies in the collection and disbursements.

There are also names of two former board members of a construction giant, Mr. Mark George, who was alleged to have collected $6million from Mr. Jeffrey Tesler and helped transfer the money to two top shots of the frontline political party and a special assistant to a former head of state.

Vanguard gathered, however, that while Bodunde, allegedly agreed that he collected $6million from the construction giant, he told the panel that it had nothing to do with his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo but that he only handed the money over to Mallam Lawal Batagarawa.

It was learnt that Batagarawa, who earlier denied collecting any money from Bodunde, later allegedly accepted collecting the money but said it had noting to do with Obasanjo, and that the money was handed over to a party.
Vanguard also gathered, weekend, that Alhaji Abdulkadir Abacha, who had used delay tactics severally to skip being interrogated by the panel, finally appeared before it last month to state his role in the alleged sharing.

Another top shot who appeared before the panel and whose evidence Vanguard learnt has helped to clear a lot of grey areas, was a former Company Secretary of the Nigeria National Liquified Gas Company,  who was allegedly privy to the signing of all the agreements and execution of the contract between the Nigerian government and representatives of Halliburton company.

Desperate effort to frustrate panel’s work
Further findings by Vanguard showed that evidences from the progress report available in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation have been found to corroborate those sent by the American government to the AGF’s. It was learnt that the former AGF, Michael Aondoakaa, deliberately tried to frustrate the panel’s work.

A source told Vanguard that following the passing of information on Halliburton to the authorities, the American government was waiting to see what the Acting President would  do with the two reports. The issue is whether he will continue the fight against corruption of his boss, Yar’Adua, with his new Attorney General, Adoke, or sweep the findings under the carpet as Aondoakaa allegedly attempted.

Vanguard had earlier reported, that several months after the five-man panel concluded the Nigerian leg of its investigation and secured visas to travel abroad for the foreign leg of the investigation, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, scuttled the travel arrangements made for the panel to travel to conclude the investigations.

They did so by ensuring that the briefs, questionnaires and information needed by the panel to do their work abroad, which were to be translated into Spanish, French, Latin and German, in accordance with procedure, were sat on for over six months, to the extent that the visas issued in October with a December 4 deadline, for panel members to travel expired with the panel still in Nigeria.

Consequently, it emerged that the trip abroad would not take place again thereby sending a sad message of lack of seriousness to the foreign countries that the government of Nigeria’s talk about unearthing the truth about the Halliburton scam was mere political talk.

The panel members were scheduled to travel to France, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Germany for two weeks in separate batches, to investigate how the monies were distributed, the codes used, how the facilitator and key foreign suspect, Jeffrey Tesler tricked the Nigerian beneficiaries, as well as the extent of involvement of two former heads of state in the sharing of the loot.

Employment of private translators
When it became clear that the Foreign Affairs Ministry was not forthcoming with the translation, the panel had to request the withdrawal of the documents and employed private experts that eventually carried out the translation but at that time the visas had expired.

It would be recalled that President Umaru Yar’Adua had made all arrangements, including release of funds to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that a proper conclusion was arrived at by the panel. He had approved N50million, last September for the panel members to embark on the foreign leg of the investigation following the submission of the panel’s interim report.

Payment of outstanding allowances to the panel members and investigators were also to be effected from the money.

…AVM Bello denies involvement
AVM Bello has vehemently denied knowing anything about the Halliburton deal. According to him, one of the accounts in question is an offshore account which was opened in 2001 and closed towards the end of that year.

The investigating team, led by CP Amodu Ali of the Special Investigation Unit of the Police Force Headquarters had  insisted that Air Vice Marshall Bello (rtd) was in a position to disclose the beneficiaries of the Halliburton bribery money and the amount each of them got.

According to Vanguard sources, one of the accounts in question is an off-shore account allegedly opened in London for Bello by Jeffery Tessler. He (Bello) said that the account was opened in 2001 and that towards the end of that year, he closed that account to any transaction whatsoever, stressing that he was, therefore, at a loss as to how the account was used.

Operation of offshore account
Having tried to reach the lawyer (Tessler) and failed, the Police investigating team asked AVM Bello to furnish it with documents of the offshore account showing that he closed  the account in 2001 and that he was not aware of any transaction with it.

Asked how such account could be in operation over a period of time and the documents of transaction carried out with it could not be traced, the source said such offshore accounts don’t need to have directors to be opened, rather what they had was a nominee director and that Mr. Tessler is the only nominee director.

“That is why we have requested our American counterparts to intervene on our behalf over the arrest of Mr. Tessler and we are aware that motions have been put in place for the extradition of Mr. Tessler to America to answer questions,” the source said.

AVM Bello was at a time, detained on the instructions of the Okiro Committee over the Halliburton scandal. Relations then approached the Abuja High Court to enforce his fundamental human rights. He was arrested on April 27, and held incommunicado from his family, relations and lawyers, despite his protest that he knew nothing of Tesler’s dealings with Halliburton.

The relations applied to court for: Declaration that the arrest of the applicant on April 27, 2009 in Lagos by officers and men under the command of the Respondents was illegal, unconstitutional and against the provisions of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement). He was later released.

What happens NEXT?
Trust Nigerian Government to continue stalling the much needed prosecution of 'em peeps.

Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, elder brother of the Niger State governor and former federal permanent secretary alleged to have collected over $35million for himself and others including a former military head of state, and Alhaji Abdukadir Abacha, brother of late head of state also alleged to have collected $7million using his foreign firm as front.

abajo
chei!!

^^
Your point is?

Olabukola , you are not wise in your thought and speech, these list shows to what extent some wicked people have ruined their country , to the extent that even those who claim to have sacrificed thier lives for the unity of the country are the country's worst enemies (though hand join in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished)

olabukola:

This is list in not complete or not true. How come no ibo man in the list. Is Dan Etete Ibo? it sounds like.

Thanks for your keen observation . . . . The list shows that the cesspit called Nigeria is being plundered by yoruba and hausa parasites.

olabukola:

This is list in not complete or not true. How come no ibo man in the list. Is Dan Etete Ibo? it sounds like.

metal-gong:

Thanks for your keen observation . . . . The list shows that the cesspit called Nigeria is being plundered by yoruba and hausa parasites.

If you have a problem, take it to the tribalistic section, it was made for bigots as well as ídiots who are absolutely incapable of rational judgment, but will rather associate every problem of their lives to religious and ethnic excuses.

This is good news, especially for Jonathan's administration.

He's really starting to make the Yaradua's regime look so unpopular and unserious!

much ado about nothing,

violent:

If you have a problem, take it to the tribalistic section, it was made for bigots as well as ídiots who are absolutely incapable of rational judgment, but will rather associate every problem of their lives to religious and ethnic excuses.

Thank you!

Both you fucktards, olabukola and metal-gong, should head to the tribalist section.

tip of the iceberg.come abroad and see what their children do with your money. even their cleaners are oyinbos. that nigeria will recover? my foot.

Jonathan again playing by the rules, opening up the closed files like he told his ministers, that all that they need to do their jobs are on the shelves so all they have to do is dust the files up and not start travelling up and down searching for new solutions, Adoke over to you,

Sagamite:

Thank you!

Both you fucktards, olabukola and metal-gong, should head to the tribalist section.

where is the 'tribalist' section

never been there o


****seen******

*edited*

thiefs. but the things im sure the case will die down,

can't someone arrest that Aondoakka guy and try him for all these things he did?

Can't see Atiku on that list o. Abi no be dis one him join?

Well all of you calling me names, what is wrong in putting down an observertion i made from the publication. Does it mean Ibos are not corrupt? Its either the list of names are not complete of the publication is from one of their newspapers.

All those named and found guilty and their beneficiaries who are aware of the ill-gotten wealth of these corrupt and evil men should be stripped stark naked and  paraded in public before cameras and then their properties home and abroad should be confiscated before jailing them for life.


If they were in China, they would have been executed.

The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) should be sacked.


[size=28pt]Acting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan cannot prosecute anybody for corrupt practices until his wife is cleared of corruption.[/size]

olabukola:

Well all of you calling me names, what is wrong in putting down an observertion i made from the publication. Does it mean Ibos are not corrupt? Its either the list of names are not complete of the publication is from one of their newspapers.

And out of all the tribes in Nigeria, it is only the Ibos you see not on the list?

Orikinla:

Acting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan cannot prosecute anybody for corrupt practices until his wife is cleared of corruption.

Are you quoting a section of Nigerian law?

Orikinla:

All those named and found guilty and their beneficiaries who are aware of the ill-gotten wealth of these corrupt and evil men should be stripped stark unclothed and  paraded in public before cameras and then their properties home and abroad should be confiscated before jailing them for life.


If they were in China, they would have been executed.

The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) should be sacked.


[size=28pt]Acting President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan cannot prosecute anybody for corrupt practices until his wife is cleared of corruption.[/size]

who will do all these to them, you and me?

You already pointed out the obvious and at the same time asking they be sacked. When it is said there is no way you can change Nigeria without bloodshed, some people think it is a st.up.id assumption. Which of top ranking police, military officers' hands are clean, including the common man?

Good reporting but a tad marred by the Nigerian Sacred Cow Syndrome-
or why else should some peoples' names be mentioned while others are simply referred to as ex this or that.

The report is even afraid to mention a political party by its name! _{as if we all don't know its PDP being referred to.}

Michael Aondoakaa, the notorious AGF!, i cant wait 4 the day you will be sentenced life in prisonment
or sentenced to death by hanging or firing squad.
your dayz are numbered!

Sagamite:

And out of all the tribes in Nigeria, it is only the Ibos you see not on the list?

Well Nigeria is WAZOBIA as we were meant to know. When u have WA and ZO but no BIA questions need to be asked.

Nigerian journalist should be more through in their reportage

Sagamite:

And out of all the tribes in Nigeria, it is only the Ibos you see not on the list?
Are you quoting a section of Nigerian law?

you dey mind that shithead "olabukola"- hes not a yoruba just some clown who signs on that name to instigate arguments between his ID names- to start BS between yoruba and igbos.

probably the same idiot metalgong

Onlytime that ID signs on isto say some tribalistic BS and how much hes supposedly ashamed of being a yoruba(which no yoruba would say) so hes probably an igboguy actin silly(mekxxxs or metalgong- probably the same person).

@post - hmmmmmm Obaseki, etete yu guys disappoint your deltan bros.
all therest is expected but I dont believe this whole list.
$60 million to one chap- hes not saying the rest of the names
just like in US - they are not sayin Vice president Chenneys or former president Bush's name though they owned haliburton

all these guys they got in America and Ngeria are small guys - the big boys are Bush, Chenney, Obj etc- all politics of the world everyone is corrupt but only small fishes caught. too bad lol

Am kinda disappointed.

$180m and yet they still want to steal more. haba!!!
but considering the list of the accused persons, i feel it'll take 10years to prosecute them not while jonathan's wife still has a corruption case.

let' break it down, if it were you. would you watch millions of $ passing your desk without cutting yours. those that gave it should be prosecuted cos that money is way huge to be rejected un-noticed.

[size=28pt]All these kind of thing are not news or surprise anymore to me. The only news that can come from Nigeria is about electricity never go off. [/size]

Hey Violent dude, u seem 2 exonorate Jonathan frm Musa as if he wasn't part of his junta. He was & as a matter of fact is still a part of Musa's junt as long as it's Musa's policies he's finishin off.

Who be this former head of state? Na Abdulsalami una no fit talk?

And what happens after they been name for an alleged offence?