The Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has held a secret meeting with the embattled former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the meeting was held at the VP�s official residence on Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, at about 12 midnight on Saturday.
Alamieyeseigha was said to have been moved to the venue of the meeting from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission�s cell where he is being detained.
It was learnt that Jonathan, who flew into Lagos without the usual paraphernalia of office, had a 30-minute discussion with Alamieyeseigha.
The Vice-President was Alamieyeseigha�s deputy in Bayelsa State from 1999 to 2005.
A source said the two men reviewed the ongoing trial of Alamieyeseigha, his pending bail application and how to handle the matter.
The source said the meeting was �a subtle move by the Federal Government to grant him (Alamieyeseigha) soft landing.�
He told our correspondent that during the meeting, Jonathan sold the idea of plea bargaining to his former boss as a way of ending his ordeal.
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case in which a prosecutor and a defendant arrange to settle the case against the defendant. The defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for some agreement from the prosecutor as to the punishment.
A plea bargain can also include the prosecutor agreeing to charge a lesser crime (also called reducing the charges), and dismissing some of the charges against the defendant.
A former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, enjoyed a similar offer on November 22, 2005, when Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to six months imprisonment, after he pleaded guilty to a mitigated eight-count charge.
Our correspondent learnt that there were indications that after the vice-president might have reached an understanding with Alamieyeseigha, President Umaru Yar�Adua will also come in at a later stage.
The source added, �There may be more to the VP�s visit than meets the eye. There is a high-level deal with Alamieyeseigha for a purpose.
�It may have to do with the situation in Niger Delta; the circumstances of his humiliation from power; the emerging fresh facts on his arrest and trial; and the politics of bail.
�I can tell you that even counsel for Alamieyeseigha are divided on the FG�s rapproachment to him.�
When the office of the Vice-President was contacted on Monday night, a Senior Special Assistant only offered to speak in confidence.
He spoke with our correspondent after consultations with Jonathan.
He said, �The Vice-President actually requested for Alamieyeseigha on compassionate grounds.
�You know that the ex-governor just returned from a medical trip abroad and the VP felt he should find out the true state of his health.
�It was a private meeting which lasted for some minutes. There is no big deal about it.�
The presidential aide refused to speak on the propriety of meeting with a suspect in custody.
All calls to the spokesman for the Vice-President, Mr. Ima Niboro, were dropping.
Alamieyeseigha, who was removed from office on December 9, 2005, is standing trial for a 40-count charge of money laundering, illegal acquisition of properties and false declaration of assets.
While awaiting trial in EFCC custody, he developed complications arising from a previous surgery in Germany in 2005.
The development forced the anti-graft commission to approach a Federal High Court on April 23, 2007 for permission to take the former governor to Dubai for treatment on compassionate grounds.
But the EFCC had last week repatriated him, from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, for allegedly breaching security.
It was learnt that the breach had to do with a visit to him by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.