President Barack Obama in talks on economic, security, financial and anti-graft
issues, it has emerged that he has ordered the preparation of the case-file that would
lead to the prosecution of the indicted persons in the $182 million Halliburton bribery
scandal.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the President’s directive followed the requirement by
the US government of evidence to show that Buhari was ready to prosecute the
suspects in Nigeria for their roles in the bribery scandal before it could partner other
European countries in releasing the $141million dollars allegedly looted from Nigeria
and lodged in various overseas banks.
According to top security sources, Buhari, based on the outcome of investigations by
the panel set up to look into the scandal, is scheduled to tell Americans officials during
this week’s visit that all those indicted, including former Heads of State, a former Vice
President, two former Group Managing Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, will face prosecution to defend themselves.
To further convince the US officials that the kangaroo trial that took place during the
Jonathan administration, which saw a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to
the President being arraigned and then let off the hook following alleged connivance of
certain government institutions, will not re-occur, the President will tell them that private
legal practitioners, who cannot compromise because of past government patronage, will
be commissioned to handle the case.
It will be recalled that the recent directive by Buhari to reopen the Halliburton bribery
case led to the discovery that the $26.5 million plea bargain money released by the oil
servicing firm as part of efforts to shield the company from prosecution was not in any
government account.
Source : Vanguard
No comments:
Post a Comment