THE Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoaaka, on Tuesday said the United States had agreed to provide evidence linking eminent Nigerians with the Halliburton bribery scandal.
The minister said this in Abuja, while inaugurating the in-house committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the allegations.
Aondoaaka said the US had to acknowledge the request by the Federal Government to produce evidence linking top Nigerians with the bribery scandal.
Members of the committee include the chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri; the representatives of the Directors-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and State Security Service (SSS), as well as that of the National Security Adviser.
“Government will not condone corruption and won’t shield anyone found to be involved in the scandal. We have asked the Attorney General of the United States to get relevant documents to the scandal. We will get the names of those involved from the proper source so that we can prosecute them.
“We will also charge those who received the bribe along with their foreign collaborators to court,” he said.
Aondoakaa said in line with President Umaru Yar’Adua’s determination to ensure that due process reigned in all governmental actions, it was necessary to get evidence that could convict those found culpable in the scam.
Reacting to the criticisms that had trailed the composition of the committee, the minister debunked insinuations that the committee was another grand design to cover up the scandal.
Aondoakaa said the evidence used in the United States court was under the seal, adding that there would be the need for the committee to work with the security agencies abroad to unseal it before it could be tendered in a Nigerian court.