Halliburton Scandal: Cheney’s Lawyer says EFCC Corruption Charges Baseless

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LAWYER to former US Vice-President, Dick Cheney, has described the alleged corruption charges against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as "entirely baseless."

Cheney

Terrence O'Donnell, in a report by AFP on Friday, was emphatic in his dismissal of any suggestion that the former US vice president was involved in a bribery scandal in Nigeria.

According to a statement by the attorney, "any suggestion of misconduct on his part (Cheney), made now, years later, is entirely baseless."

O'Donnell made it clear that US authorities had investigated the joint venture at the core of the charges and never found him wanting at any time.

"The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated that joint venture extensively and found no suggestion of any impropriety by Dick Cheney in his role of CEO of Halliburton," he said.

His comments came after EFCC's spokesman, Femi Babafemi, confirmed plans to file charges as early as next week against the former vice president over the bribery scandal connected to the construction of a liquefied natural gas plant in southern Nigeria.

Even though he did not give much details, Babafemi said "they are not unconnected to his role as the chief executive of Halliburton."

A prosecutor in the case said joint charges would be filed at the country's high court in Abuja against Cheney, along with the former and current leadership of the energy giant and others.

Officials from the consortium of companies involved in the LNG plant would also be included in the charges to be "placed before the court, latest by Tuesday, next week," said Godwin Obla.

@Cheney would face conspiracy charges and a Nigerian judge would be asked to issue an arrest warrant for him, which would be transmitted to INTERPOL,'' said Obla.

"As the CEO of Halliburton, he has the responsibility for acts that occurred during that period," Obla told AFP.

Companies in the TSKJ consortium involved in the plant included France's Technip, Snamprogetti (formerly a subsidiary of a company owned by Italy's Eni), Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), and Japan's JGC.

KBR is a former subsidiary of Halliburton, where Cheney served as CEO before becoming vice president under George W. Bush, following elections in 2000.

The LNG case involves an alleged 182-million-dollar cash-for-contract scandal over 10 years until 2005. It's about the construction of the LNG plant in southern Nigeria. Halliburton has denied involvement in the allegations.

US authorities said last year that Halliburton and KBR had agreed to pay 177 million dollars to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States.

KBR agreed to pay a further 402 million dollars to settle criminal charges brought by the US Justice Department.

Source: TheNation.