By Emeka Umejei Reporter, Lagos

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/apr/15/499.html

EIGHTY PERSONS, foreigners and Nigerians, the living and the dead, among them four former Heads of State and two of their wives, as well as former Governors and Ministers – indeed the top echelons of the country’s political and military establishments, including technocrats – have been indicted by the United States law enforcement officials over the N27 billion Halliburton bribery scandal.

Among the foreigners are Jack Chagoury, Gilbert Chagoury, and T.W. Oerlemans, an Australian; but they are rather small fish compared with indicted former Nigerian Heads of State Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, Ernest Shonekan, and Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Maryam, the late wife of Babangida; Mariam, the wife of the late Abacha, and his son, the late Ibrahim, are included; likewise Mike Akhigbe, the second in command in the Abdulsalami junta; former Abia State Governor, Orji Kalu; and former military Governors of Rivers State, Anthony Ukpo and Samuel Ewang.

Also among the dead are Abdulkadir Ahmed, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor; and renowned economist, Pius Okigbo, who headed the probe panel on the Gulf Crude Oil Excess sales set up by the CBN in 1994.

But among those alive are former Petroleum Minister, Rilwanu Lukman, and newly re-appointed National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau. (See full list below).

According to the report of the investigators, the 80 persons received part of the N27 billion bribe facilitated by foreign contractors for Halliburton to get the contract to build the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant, Africa’s first, in Bonny, Rivers State.

The scandal dates back to 1994 when some foreign companies put up bids for the construction of the plant that was to cost $6 billion.

To win the contract, a joint venture company, named TSKJ, was set up – comprising equal holdings between some companies, Technip (French), Sanmprogetti (Italian), KBR (U.S.), and part of the Halliburton group and Japanese engineering and construction company, JGC.

The investigators said the consortium bribed political leaders and top government functionaries through Tri-Star Investment Limited and Marubeni Inc.

They also recruited British lawyer, Jeffery Tesler, to co-ordinate the affairs of Tri-Star, as well as Wojciech Chodan, an American, to co-ordinate the affairs of Marubeni.

TSKJ mandated Tri-Star to solely take charge of bribing Nigerian officials at senior level, Marubeni was restricted to bribing junior level officials.

Tesler disclosed in a court deposition that TSKJ mandated both companies to bribe the officials.

As part of the investigation, the Swiss Justice Department followed the steps of the Police Judiciare of France, which in 2003, started an investigation that revealed fraudulent Halliburton payments to Tesler.

In the U.S., KBR and Halliburton have admitted to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by engaging in a decade-long bribing scheme to secure contracts in Nigeria.

Both agreed to pay a combined fine of $579 million to settle criminal and civil charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice.

Those Indicted

[size=14pt]Ibrahim Babangida

Maryam Babangida

Ernest Shonekan

Abubakar Abdulsalami

M. D. Yusufu

T.W. Oerlemans

Pius Okigbo

Aminu Saleh

Don Etiebet

Aliyu Mohammed Gusau

Edmund Daukoru

Victoria Ihonde

Toyin Olakunrin

Gilbert Temisan Grant

Gabriel Abolade Soyoye

Patrick Dele-Cole

E. Ihetu

Onya (NNPC personnel)

Sani Abacha

Joshua Dogonyaro

John Shagaya

U. J. Itsueli

Ombu Isokariari

G.O. Ejiga

Babagana Kingibe

Hakeem Bello-Osagie

J.O. Maduka

Sena Anthony

Dalhatu A. Bayero

Ogenyi (NNPC official)

I. Dapchi

M.A. Olorunfemi

Wilfred C. Eze

Umar Baba

Orji Kalu

Jeremiah Useni

Abba Gana

Ibrahim Abacha

Oladipo Diya

Chamberlain O. Oyibo

Judith Attah

Abdulkadir Ahmed

Anthony Ani

O.O. Okwara

Philip Asiodu

Endo (Marubeni Nigeria)

Hamman Tukur

S.J. Ollerearnshaw

Dan Etete

B. Soyode

Akin Ogunleye

Tom Ikimi

Gidado Idris

Sola Alabi

Ismaila Gwarzo

Mariam Abacha

Halilu Akilu

Abdullahi Mohammed

Hamza El-Mustapha

Ibrahim Aliyu

Edmund Ayoola

Anthony Ukpo

Samuel Ewang

Ismaila Usman

Tunde Soleye

Christ Akerele

Umaru Shinkafi

Philip Chukwu

Bunu Sherrif Musa

Rilwan Lukman

Aret Adams

Mike Akhigbe

Faruk Iya

Hassan Adamu

Prince Nzekwe

Gen. Adeyosun

Jasper Jumbo

Jack Chagoury

Gilbert Chagoury

Mohammed Atiku[/size]