Dick Cheney Nigeria Bribery Charges Dropped

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- A spokesman for Nigeria's antigraft body says they have dropped charges against former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and his former company Halliburton.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission spokesman Femi Babafemi says the charges against Cheney and other executives of Halliburton and its former subsidiary KBR were dropped Friday after a plea-bargain deal was reached. Officials did not describe the settlement.

Authorities said the charges stemmed from a case involving as much as $180 million allegedly paid in bribes to Nigerian officials from 1995 to 2004.

Cheney was named as he led the company during a period when the bribes were allegedly paid.

The Halliburton case involves its former subsidiary KBR, an engineering and construction services firm based in Houston.

Comments

[Aquest]

09:12 PM on 12/19/2010

Plea bargain...right. The real question is how much did these guy get in the payoff?

Cheney's appearance has really changed.

[lmab]

07:44 PM on 12/19/2010

I'm waiting for a stroke of luck.

[padoodle]

05:42 PM on 12/19/2010

SO, Cheney paid them off huh. Figures.
Doesn't mean he's not guilty.

[b525]

05:21 PM on 12/19/2010

The fisheries in the oil drilling regions of the Niger River Delta, which at one time were the most productive in West Africa, have been nearly wiped out by oil pollution. The land in the delta has been rendered too oil poisoned to grow crops, much of the wildlife has been killed or driven to extinction by poisoning of the waters of the delta by not only oil, but also from poisonous "black rain" which continuously falls from the sky in the delta from the flaring off/burning of natural gas from oil wells. (natural gas flaring is the burning away of natural gas from oil wells etc. to prevent expolosions, gas flaring emits multiple poisonous and cancer causing substances which will even kill vegetation).

The amount of natural gas burned through "flaring" in the Niger delta yearly = all the natural gas burned in the rest of the African continent in an ENTIRE YEAR. This natural gas flaring in the Niger delta is the largest single source of CO2 pollution ON EARTH.

The large scale clearing and oil poisoning of the once vast mangrove forests of the delta, as well as the destruction of coastal mangrove forests, where the delta meets the Atlantic Ocean, has further destroyed the delta's ability to support wildlife, fish or people.

This pollution/destruction of natural systems in the delta has left many of the 30 million people who live there with almost no options to live beyond stealing oil from oil pipelines.

[b525]

05:19 PM on 12/19/2010

The 70,000 sq. km. Niger River delta in Nigeria, Africa is the most oil and natural gas polluted river delta on earth..

At one time the Niger River delta was the most species diverse deltas/wetlands in all of west Africa with massive mangrove forest stretching for 7,500 sq. km. (an area the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut.).

In many ways the delta, previous to oil drilling, could have been described as a tropical paradise.

Millions of BARRELS of oil have been spilled/leaked into the Niger River, the Niger River Delta and off the Atlantic coast of Nigeria since oil drilling began there in 1958.

(accurate figures on oil spills are difficult to get because press access to figures concerning oil spills in Nigeria are, and have been, heavily restricted by the government, but the visual and eyewitness accounts of the oil polluted river delta tells the full story).

The 31 million people who live in the Niger Delta and have historically sustained themselves through fishing, small scale farming and hunting and gathering and have now been left destitute by the oil and natural gas pollution that has destroyed their land, water and wildlife.

The fisheries in the oil drilling regions of the Niger River Delta, which at one time were the most productive in West Africa, have been nearly wiped out by oil pollution. Much of the land in the delta has been rendered too oil poisoned to grow food.

[Artie]

07:00 PM on 12/19/2010

Yeah but, they only hate us for our freedoms! Like the freedom to screw poorer countries or anyone who disagrees with us. Better watch out, play nice or you will regret it.
Have a nice day, y'all.

[Farro]

09:41 AM on 12/20/2010

While I'm sure this is all good and valid, I'm honestly not sure what this has to do with the bribery charges...

[localwonk]

02:46 PM on 12/19/2010

Admittedly, I don't know much about this case but do take a moment to express my grattitude to a true patriot. I had the deepest respect when Dick Cheney was known as, the Honorable Dick Cheney. That's how we in the military customarily refer to the Secretary of Defense (and other high ranking government people). I deeply regarded him then and was grateful for his service as Vice-President.

Best wishes to him and merry Christmas.

[Happylib]

06:21 PM on 12/19/2010

Obviously, you know very little about Dick Cheney. Best wishes to you and Merry Christmas.

[onlyaquarterdelusional]

10:22 PM on 12/19/2010

Since when is it honorable for a standing US Vice President to increase his wealth 10 fold through war profiteering, after orchestrating the march into an unnecessary war, based on false evidence that he helped produce and then sell to a trusting and fearful electorate.

[SKonnery]

09:20 AM on 12/20/2010

Agreed!

[Foodgrade]

12:49 PM on 12/19/2010

Friday 17 December 2010

Bush Sr. Lobbied to Save Cheney From Nigeria Prosecution
Jason Leopold, Truthout: "Former President George H.W. Bush and ex-Secretary of State James Baker were part of a negotiating team that convinced Nigerian government officials to drop bribery charges against Dick Cheney and Halliburton, the oil services firm he led prior to becoming vice president, according to Nigerian news reports. Bush and Baker reportedly participated in conference call discussions with senior Nigerian government officials, including the country's attorney general, Mohammed Adoke, last weekend on behalf of Cheney in an attempt to work out a settlement. Halliburton executives also participated in the talks."

[Madtek]

12:33 PM on 12/19/2010

SO...How much did he bribe them to drop the bribery charges???

[schmedes2]

11:47 AM on 12/20/2010

lol exactly what I thought when i read it

[HalfBakedSushi]

11:42 AM on 12/19/2010

So Cheney / Halliburton got out of bribery charges through a legal form of bribery. What's new?

[Jim Krow]

11:25 AM on 12/19/2010

Let me get this straight. Nigeria charges Cheney with bribery so Cheney can bribe the government to drop the charges. Obviously the government was chapped because they didn't get their cut the first time. The Nigerian government is a kleptrocracy.

[Puller58]

08:19 AM on 12/19/2010

Takes one crook to know one.  (Nigeria scams anyone?)

[Yank in France]

06:13 AM on 12/19/2010

I have no sympathy for Cheney who would be rotting in jail as you read these lines, if the American people had even the slightest bit of moral fortitude!

BUT, I find the Nigerian charge of bribery to be HILARIOUS. The last time I looked, the Nigerians were demanding hundreds of millions of dollars for them to call off their "bribery" charges!

Nigeria is one of the most countries on the most corrupt continent on planet earth. Sorry if that hurts some, but that is the truth!

[anotheRedherring]

05:36 AM on 12/19/2010

the cost of the Nigerian bribery was 180 million + the plea bargain. this sounds like the cost of doing business. nothing changes and criminals walk OUR streets.

[PinaColada]

04:15 AM on 12/19/2010

In other words, a deal was streak. It's a culpability does not apply here deal. I'ts a Hear No Evil, See No EVIL, Do No Evil deal. It's a if you scratch my back, I will scratch your back deal.

[waynesmyer]

03:07 AM on 12/19/2010

"And if you don't like my bribery, you can just go "Cheney" yourself! yours truly, F-Yew Cheney