The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) yesterday served charge sheets on some of the 13 suspects implicated in the 17.5million euro Siemens bribery scam.
The commission will arraign the suspects in Abuja on Thursday.
The commission had on October 17 filed charges against a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel, Mahmood Sadiq Mohammed and 12 others.
The 40-count charge was filed at both the Federal High Court, Abuja and in the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory.
The 12 other suspects are Siemens AG; Siemens Nigeria Limited ; Eduard Seidel (at large); Klaus-Peter Gilbert (at large); Schroeter Jochen (at large); a former Director of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Maigada Shuaibu; ex-General Manager (Finance) of NITEL, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ossai; ex-Chief Executive Officer of M-Tel, Edwin Moore Momife; C. Woerman Nigeria Limited; C. Woerman AG; Detlev Woerman; Ralf Henrich; and Dirk Warner (at large)
But five of the suspects, mostly officials of Siemens, are presently at large.
Notwithstanding the absence of the fleeing suspects, the EFCC will proceed with the arraignment of the remaining eight suspects on Thursday.
A highly-placed source in the commission, who spoke in confidence, said: "We will arraign some of the accused persons in court on Thursday to commence their trial.
"In preparation for the trial, we have served charge sheets on some of the affected suspects. They were invited to the commission on Monday where the sheets were given to them.
"Our prosecution team will be led by Mr. Godwin Obla, who has handled many successful cases for the commission."
Asked if there is any prospect for plea bargaining, the source added: "It is premature to talk of that now."
The source however added: "We are still expecting the Certified True Copy of the judgment of Munich Court in Germany on the bribery scam."
Contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said: "I think the arraignment of the accused persons might hold on Thursday."
He declined further comments on the suspects trial.
Siemens, a German firm, was involved in about 1.3billion euro suspicious bribery payments in some countries between 2001 and 2004.
But out of the 1.3billion euro suspicious payments, 10m euro was given as bribe to some Nigerian ministers and government officials during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Based on the admission of guilt, Siemens was fined 201m euros ($248m) by a Munich court on 4 October, 2007
Also on April 21, 2010 , a Munich court found two former Siemens managers guilty of breach of trust and abetting bribery for their roles in Nigeria
While Michael Kutschenreuter, a former financial head of its telecoms unit, was placed on probation for two years and fined 160,000 euros ($215,300, a second defendant, the former head of accounting at Siemens' telecoms unit, was placed on probation for 1-1/2 years and fined 40,000 euros.
Siemens scandal: EFCC serves suspects with charge sheets, arraignment holds on Thursday (http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/17773.html)