$182m Halliburton Scandal: Buhari orders preparation of case-file

As President Muhammadu Buhari travels to the

United States (US) today to engage 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.