Nigeria drops Dick Cheney bribery charge

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

December 17 2010 Last updated at 16:30 GMT

Nigeria has dropped charges against former US Vice-President Dick Cheney over a 1990s bribery scandal, anti-corruption officials say.

The case focused on bribes paid by engineering firm KBR while it was a subsidiary of Halliburton, a firm headed by Mr Cheney at the time.

Nigerian officials said Halliburton agreed an out-of-court deal worth $250m (£160m). The firm has not commented.

=snip=

Femi Babafemi, of Nigeria's anti-corruption agency EFCC, said Halliburton had agreed to pay $250m "in lieu of prosecution". He said $130m of the money would be repatriated from foreign bank accounts.

AFP news agency reported that the money in foreign accounts was part of the bribery scheme, but had been frozen before it had reached Nigeria.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12018900

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So, they are paying back bribery money to get Cheny off the hook? This is confusing.

[Democrats_win]

1. Too bad. Cheney still awaits punishment, nevertheless.

[Angry Dragon]

2. But the good part is bush sr, negotiated

the second bribe

The whole bush family should be in jail for one reason or another

[tularetom]

7. The dick probably threatened to blow the whistle on junior

I guarantee he has volumes of stuff the bush klux klan wants to keep quiet.

[Angry Dragon]

9. I think cheney is more a bush sr. man

little bush was just a puppet
cheney probably has more on daddy
it is just a corrupt family
the Nazi and mafia have nothing on them

[rfranklin]

3. Money talks, Cheney walks...

"Same as it ever was...."

Talking Heads

[fatbuckel]

4. Just throw money....

[tularetom]

5. They're settling bribery charges with a bribe

For some reason the Obama administration is anxious to get this matter off the front page.

[Myrina]

6. Not to mention that the US Gov't just gave Nigeria $500m ...

... but for something totally unrelated, I'm sure. :sarcasm:

[alex cross]

8. Ha, looks like the joke is on the Nigerian government

I just got an e-mail from a Jeremy Smith in Nigeria and his uncle is in the Ministry of Oil Services and will pay me hamsomly if I will hep facilitat the movment of 250 million Americn funds back to Halliburton. And all I need do is supply my banking account information and SS numbers and some other info.

WoooHooo! I'm gonna be rich in a few days. So long suckers, it's been a slice.

[Mnemosyne]

13. OMG!11 I got one too!11

:evilgrin:

Welcome to DU, Alex! :hi:

[go west young man]

10. When it comes to oil the U.S. will whatever it can to get it.

Bribes, wars, dealing with dictators. We are fucking junkies.

[Old and In the Way]

11. Amazing, isn't it?

When you're in the big leagues of crime, the government goes out of its way to give you a free ride. Send a government official a bottle of booze at Christmas and you're a crook.

I wonder what leverage the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate uses to keep Democrats from pursuing justice? Veiled threats against their immediate families? Maybe just a friendly reminder of Democratic political assassinations in previous decades?

[glinda]

12. Your statement I think is right on the money. Just note the quick turn around in the Dems caving.

There is a huge story here if anyone can really find it.
Our Country is a huge joke in regards to the law.

[defendandprotect]

14. +1000% --

[One Voice]

15. More from the Guardian...

The move followed the intervention of
ex-president George Bush Sr and former
secretary of state James Baker,
according to Nigerian press reports.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/15/nigeria-dick-cheney-plea-halliburton

[Turborama]

18. Thanks for that

Helps make things a bit clearer, the BBC's report was a bit of a mess.

Campaigners in the Niger delta expressed disappointment at the plea bargain. Celestine AkpoBari, programme officer at Social Action Nigeria, said: "I would have loved to see Dick Cheney in chains in our court and facing justice in our prisons. That would have been a very big point that would have lifted Nigeria out of its woes."

Kentebe Ebiaridor, a project assistant at Environment Rights Action, suggested that Bush and Baker took part to protect America's huge oil interests in the region. "They are trying not to jeopardise the relationship," he said. "But if Dick Cheney is guilty, he should be brought to book."

[classysassy]

16. " Justice takes a holiday"

When justice return to America there will be a huge back log of criminal indictments,the Bush/Chaney gang will be leading the parade of criminals marching into court.

[Johnny Harpo]

17. Sounds like Nigeria got another payment....

n/t

[Turborama]

19. Not sure what counts as news and what doesn't, anymore.

I guess it's just pot luck these days.