Nigeria to drop Cheney bribery charges

Nigerian officials have filed a 16-count charge against Dick Cheney and several other former and current Halliburton officials over a bribery scandal dating back to the 1990s

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155580.html


Nigeria may withdraw bribery charges against former US Vice President Dick Cheney over a scandal involving the oil services company Halliburton that he once headed.

This follows negotiations for an out-of-court settlement that was held last week in London between Nigerian officials and representatives of Halliburton.

A spokesperson for Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said the company has offered to pay a fine amounting to $250 million to have the case dropped.

They would pay $120 million as fines and $130 million from bad money stored in Switzerland from the original deal -- so $250 million in total," said Femi Babafemi on Tuesday.

The Nigerian government must approve any settlement deal before it is sealed.

Experts have severely criticized this cash-for-crime arrangement.

Last week, Nigeria's anti-corruption agency filed a 16-count charge against Cheney and several other former and current Halliburton officials over a bribery scandal dating back to the mid-1990s.

Cheney was the company's chief executive from 1995 to 2000, before becoming vice president to former US President George W. Bush in 2001.

Halliburton has denied involvement, and a lawyer for Cheney claims the accusations are baseless.

The Halliburton executives are accused of allegedly paying $180 million to Nigerian officials over 10 years -- until 2005 -- in order to win a contract to build a $6 billion liquefied gas project.

The case specifically involves KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton, which is a major engineering and construction services firm.

Last year, the firm paid $579 million in fines to the US Justice Department and US Security and Exchange Commission on separate charges related to the scandal.