Monday, June 21, 2010
[size=14pt]Sacred cows stay sacred: We won't revisit $180m Halliburton bribery case - EFCC[/size]

Akin Oyedele, Abuja


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it will not revisit the controversial $180m Halliburton scandal probe except if directed by the Presidency.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jun/21/821.html

The anti-graft commission was investigating the scandal before the late President Umaru Yar'Adua inaugurated a Presidential Committee in 2007 to carry out the assignment.

No reason was given then by the Presidency for the takeover of the investigation in which the names of some former heads of state and prominent Nigerians featured as alleged beneficiaries.

The EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission are statutorily vested with the powers to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of financial crimes and corruption-related cases.

A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, had, in a May 29 letter, reportedly challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to order fresh inquiry into the matter.

Obasanjo said his letter was neccessitated by "sustained and malicious media reports" regarding his alleged involvement in the sleaze.

Based on the development, our correspondent approached the EFCC to enquire if it would take up the challenge , since it initiated the investigation into the matter.

The commission's Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said, "I can't talk on it because we are not the ones handling the matter. Except otherwise directed to take up the matter again, I'm sure you are aware that a Presidential Committee headed by the office of Inspector-General of Police is now in charge."

A top official of the commission, who asked not to be named, said its investigators had reached a level at which the identity of some of the suspects had been unraveled when the presidential directive came.

He said, "Halliburton is no longer with us. The presidential panel headed by the then IG, Mr. Mike Okiro, handled the investigation. We are also represented on the panel.

"But one funny thing is that the report the Okiro panel submitted to the Presidency on May 25, 2009 was just a modification of the report submitted by the EFCC to the committee.

"The members did not add any value to the original work of the EFCC. They merely cut and pasted the report without adding anything and presented it as if they had done something different.

"We did our work as expected of us, but for reasons then known to the Presidency, we were asked to hands off and that became the end of the matter. As things stand today, the Halliburton case is not with the EFCC.

"Apart from the report, the Okiro panel inherited documents and files from us detailing our findings, but you never can tell the condition of those documents now."

Our correspondent also gathered that the presidential committee did not travel outside the country in furtherance of the investigation as widely acclaimed.

The presidential committee headed then by Okiro, had the EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri; and representatives of the National Security Adviser, State Security Service and National Intelligence Agency as members.

Among the committee's terms of reference was to examine the circumstances surrounding the Halliburton bribe in the award of contract for the Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Bonny, Rivers State in 1994.

It was also directed to liaise with appropriate agencies within and outside Nigeria to ensure the disclosure of the names of Nigerians involved or implicated in the bribery scandal.

The terms of reference include, "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 person in Nigeria by Halliburton as bribes in respect of the Bonny LNG Project; and

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

EFCC is for poor people.

*** shudders****


Is Odili.net a reliable source here? I mean this report seems too out there to be true.

damn. wasiri.

Kobojunkie:

*** shudders****


Is Odili.net a reliable source here? I mean this report seems too out there to be true.

What makes you think the same EFCC Obasanjo built is going to swallow him?. Can your own company fire you?

Aloy+Emeka:

What makes you think the same EFCC Obasanjo built is going to swallow him?. Can your own company fire you?

Yes, It happens!

Yes, It happens

KOBO, you are right there, otunba shubomi was fired from fcmb, wasnt he. ?

Kobojunkie:

Yes, It happens!

Not in Nigeria.

ode remo:

KOBO, you are right there, otunba shubomi was fired from fcmb, wasnt he. ?

Because he is a director at FCMB doesn't mean he owns it. Its hard to see a privately owned bank in Nigeria[I can't think of any]. Once you go public, people still assume you are the alpha and omega of that coy but that is not the case. Even dangote can be fired from his cement company but there is a difference between that and what you owns 100%, ain't nobody fire you from there unless your creditors are there to take their pound of flesh. Obasanjo created EFCC and that same EFCC cannot swallow him. There is a reason for his insistence in controlling Nigerian govt. It is to protect his dirty azz.

people still assume you are the alpha and omega of that coy but that is not the

@alloy, pls take time to read the damning central bank report on fcmb, you will see that most nija coy pretends to be public owned whereas most shares were owned in house giving the illusion of public comp.ala recent AIT pretend public sale.

ode remo:


@alloy, pls take time to read the damning central bank report on fcmb, you will see that most nija coy pretends to be public owned whereas most shares were owned in house giving the illusion of public comp.ala recent AIT pretend  public sale.

According to Nigerian constitution, as long as a coy has sold shares, even if it is 1% of their shares gives the govt right to pounce on them if they deem fit. That was why Sanusi was able to fire people like Ibru and Akingbola.

Aloy+Emeka:

Not in Nigeria.

Apple computers(yes iPod + mac makers) was founded by Steve jobs(current CEO) and Steve wozniak
And Steve Jobs was fired from his own company you may say, then he started another one before being brought back again

xterra2:

Apple computers(yes iPod + mac makers) was founded by Steve jobs(current CEO) and Steve wozniak
And  Steve Jobs was fired from his own company you may say, then he started another one before being brought back again

Finding a company doesn't mean owning it in the long run. I think I have explained it. Same scenario in the Gucci family where greater percentage of their family members sold their shares and the remainder were fired from their own company.

Hmm Obasanjo is up to his old tricks again, when the investigation appeared to be divulging information that looked as if it might incriminate him, he decides that the investigation should be taken over by another body - interesting.

Tell the truth, Yar Adua and Jonathan are to blame for this. Honestly This Jonathan is no different than the rest of them (previous crooks who lived at (Aso Rock)

Aloy+Emeka:

What makes you think the same EFCC Obasanjo built is going to swallow him?. Can your own company fire you?

Aloy+Emeka

Didn't the EFCC arrest and detain Iyabo Obasanjo, OBJ's daughter and a sitting Senator ?
If what you are saying holds, how then do you explain this ?

Aloy+Emeka:

Because he is a director at FCMB doesn't mean he owns it. Its hard to see a privately owned bank in Nigeria[I can't think of any]. Once you go public, people still assume you are the alpha and omega of that coy but that is not the case. Even dangote can be fired from his cement company but there is a difference between that and what you owns 100%, ain't nobody fire you from there unless your creditors are there to take their pound of flesh. Obasanjo created EFCC and that same EFCC cannot swallow him. There is a reason for his insistence in controlling Nigerian govt. It is to protect his dirty azz.

OBJ created EFCC? And you guys wonder why the man still walks free and talks like he owns Nigeria. O ma se o

EFCC is a complete joke. Anyway, Nigeria is a piece of wasted real estate and I do not expect anything good out of it. Anybody associated with this illusionary outfit is an embodiment of fraud.

Sacred cows stay sacred in Nigeria in 2010.