The letter from the US Justice department, denying the Nigerian government access to needed evidence regarding Nigerians involved in the Halliburton bribe scandal, validates Saharareporters reports that the Nigerian Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaa never met with officials of that department when he visited Washington DC, contrary to claims he made in the media that he had a “good meeting” with US officials.
Saharareporters learnt the decision to deny Yar’Adua was based on recent reports that the committee he put together was shaking down persons involved in the scam. The committee is led by the outgoing-Inspector General of police, Mike Okiro.
A case in point is Ibrahim Aliyu, the Nigerian said to be in possession of the $180 million that was reported to have been frozen in Switzerland. Aliyu, who was the front for former head of state Abdusallam Abubakar in the Halliburton bribe scheme was detained for a long period of time because he said that he was unable to share the $180 million with committee members, especially the AGF, Aondoakaa.
Aliyu is reported to have said he couldn’t part with money he did not have. He reportedly told the Okiro panel that some of his personal funds were also frozen in the action taken against his account in Switzerland.
The US authorities, learning of the shake-down of Aliyu and several others facing the Okiro panel, then decided that the Nigerian authorities were not seriously interested in prosecuting Halliburton bribe suspects. A Justice Department official told Saharareporters that no serious government agency takes the current Nigerian leaders seriously on issues of corruption.
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