The United States Government is making preparations for its citizens allegedly involved in the $6m Wilbros bribery scandal to testify in Nigeria, a US-based Nigerian news agency, Empowered Newswire has reported.
It said this move would enable the US government to cooperate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in order to prosecute the Nigerians linked with the scandal.
Empowered Newswire said further that the US government�s initiative was expected to strengthen public and international yearnings to ensure the prosecution of the accused Nigerians and their American collaborators.
It said the EFCC was seriously keen to have Wilbros General Manager, Jason Edward Steph, to testify as one of its principal witnesses.
Authoritative sources showed that in the negotiation of the plea agreement with Steph signed last week November 5, the US Justice Department demanded and got the Wilbros General Manager�s assurance, to concede that he would �fully cooperate� and provide all information relating to any criminal activities known to him to US authorities and foreign jurisdiction authority like Nigeria where most of the criminal activities were carried out, according to US government accounts.
Specifically under paragraph 9, section b of the plea agreement, Steph agreed with the US government, �to testify truthfully as a witness� before a trial judge in a foreign jurisdiction.
It is believed that Nigeria is the intended foreign jurisdiction since the alleged crime is a violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Acts, carried out largely on Nigerian soil.
Moreover, the US government also secured Steph�s consent to �voluntarily and at his own expense attend any interviews, conferences, grand jury trial, and other legal proceedings as the Department [of Justice) may request, including meetings with any foreign authority or regulator.�
Sources hinted that the intended foreign government is Nigeria and the US government has the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in mind.
An official at the Justice Department earlier told Empowered Newswire that the US State Department might be overseeing the sharing of information and other intergovernmental relationship between the US and Nigeria over this matter.
Jaclyn Leasch, the US Justice Official said the US State Department is in charge of relationships of the US government with other countries.
It was also gathered that if it has not been done already, the US government. would pass the information on this case to Nigeria and also identify each of the officials allegedly involved in the case and that the US would rather prefer the Nigerian government to publicly identify its own citizens implicated in the scandal.
A US source explained that the US has identified it�s own citizens and had charged them to court, and that it is now up to the Nigerian government to do the same for its citizens.
In his own reaction through a statement made available to Empowered Newswire, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar challenged the US �to speak out and reveal the names of the three consultants who purportedly acted as the conduit to the alleged beneficiaries.�
He also invited �the Federal Government to set up a Judicial Panel of Enquiry, comprising the most respected of Nigerian Judges and anti-corruption activists to uncover the brains behind this national scam. I volunteer to co-operate fully with any such panel.�
Abubakar in a furious reaction said �It is important to immediately find out who met with the Wilbros officials purportedly claiming to be the Vice President of Nigeria, where did such a meeting take place, how did the $6m change hands, which account was the money paid, what was the money used for, and did the money reflect in any of the PDP accounts?�
Source: The Punch