United States lawyers on both sides of the $6 million Willbros scandal, said to involve Nigerian officials, could not agree on naming the Nigerian officials involved, Empowered Newswire reports.
US Justice Department officials have also refused to identify the said Nigerians, saying it was not the practice of the US government to publicly identify the names of suspects that are not being indicted and charged to court.
Investigations conducted by Empowered Newswire, a US-based Nigerian news agency, found that while the counsel to Willbros General Manager Jason Edward Steph, Matt Hennessy, filed a motion seeking a release of the details of the names and identities of �each Nigerian official by name,� the US government Trial Attorney, Tom Stevens, opposed the motion on grounds that it is up to the prosecutor-the US Justice Department to make such a release if it chooses to. Steph on Monday, November 5, pleaded guilty in the $6m bribery scandal.
In deciding the matter, the U.S District Court Judge in Houston, Judge Sim Lake sided with the trial attorney.
As stated in the indictment in this case, the alleged bribery was committed through the use of sham consultants, who were those directly involved in the collection of the bribes totaling $6m between 2003 and 2005. It is believed that some of the consultants, including Nigerians and United States citizens, are now cooperating with the US State government, and may have provided evidence that establish the bribery allegation and provided names of officials of the Nigerian government involved.
Efforts to speak with the Trial Attorney Stevens was diverted to the Public Affairs Office of the U.S Justice Department. Empowered Newswire asked officials of the U.S Justice Department why the U.S trial attorney did not publicly release the names of the Nigerians involved in the case. Speaking on the matter Jaclyn Leasch explained that the Justice Department would not reveal the names of suspects except those indicted and are being charged – an indication that even though there are names of Nigerians involved in the case known to the Americans, none of them have been indicted as yet.
Both the Federal Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa; and Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, have said the Nigerian government would prosecute any Nigerian indicted in the Willbros scandal. Ribadu, on Thursday, told Bloomberg in an interview from Abuja that about 10 Nigerians were involved. �We have evidence that will likely take them to court,� he said.