A federal high court in Lagos has halted the scheduled deportation of an American oil exec wanted by the US Justice Department for his part in bribing Nigerian officials with $6 million in a scheme to win a major natural gas pipeline contract.
A federal high court in Lagos has halted the scheduled deportation of an American oil exec wanted by the US Justice Department for his part in bribing Nigerian officials with $6 million in a scheme to win a major natural gas pipeline contract.
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James Kenneth Tillery, the former President of Wilbros International Inc., a unit of the Texas-based Willbros Group, Inc., was to be returned to the U.S. where he faces a possible jail sentence and hefty fine for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. At a trial in the State of Texas which ended in January 2010, three Willbros executives were found guilty, Tillery became a fugitive.
From around 2003 to 2005, Willbros International was bidding on a $387 million natural gas pipeline project in the Niger Delta known as the Eastern Gas Gathering System.
To make sure the company got the contract, two Willbros executives helped dole out money to Nigerian officials. At one point the men had $1 million in cash in a suitcase for that purpose.
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Willbros Nigeria Limited was later sold to the former Delta State governor, James Ibori.
Ibori used Delta state shares in Oceanic bank as collateral for a loan he received from InterContinental bank to buy Willbros.
Yesterday, Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court in Lagos halted the extradition pending further hearing of the case. Tillery is also a naturalized Nigerian.
Saharareporters sources said he had already been moved to the police station near the airport for transportation to the US when the Attorney General was petitioned about his plight.
Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), Nigeria's AGF reportedly asked that "due process" is observed before Mr. Tillery is deported to the US.
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