Oil Company Halliburton may pay $500 million to keep Cheney out of prison
34 replies, posted
[img]http://rawstory.com/images/rawlogonew.gif[/img]
[release]Oilfield services company Halliburton is in negotiations with the Nigerian government to keep its former CEO, Dick Cheney, out of prison, according to a news report.
Sources inside Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission told GlobalPost this week that a settlement keeping the charges against Cheney out of court could cost as much as $500 million.
Nigeria filed charges against Cheney this week in an investigation of alleged bribery estimated at $180 million. Prosecutors named both Halliburton and KBR in the charges, as well as three European oil and engineering companies -- Technip SA, EniSpa, and Saipem Construction.
The charges allege that engineering contractor KBR, until 2007 a subsidiary of Halliburton, was among companies that paid bribes to secure a $6 billion contract for a natural gas plant. KBR pleaded guilty to the same bribes in a US court in 2009, and agreed to pay a $382 million fine. The Nigerian charges appear to stem from the US case -- though, in that trial, Cheney was never directly charged.
It's not clear from the GlobalPost report if the $500 million figure refers to the amount Halliburton will have to pay, or whether that amount would cover all the companies that have been charged.
Further complicating the issue is that the negotiations appear to be an out-of-court settlement, because Nigerian law doesn't recognize plea bargaining.
The idea that an out-of-court settlement could be used in a criminal case angered anti-corruption activist Adetokunbo Mumuni, who told GlobalPost, "There cannot be an out of court settlement. In a purely criminal matter like this, the full letters of the law should apply. Whoever is involved should be taken through the entire process to determine their guilt or not."
The legal vagueness surrounding the reported negotiations will likely fuel accusations that Halliburton and the other accused companies are attempting to bribe their way out of a bribery prosecution.
But the willingness of Nigerian officials to quote a dollar figure in the midst of negotiations could also fuel speculation that the Nigerian charges are an attempt to shake down the companies for cash.
[b]"The issue should not be so much about the former US vice president, it should be to what extent the law will be properly applied,"[/b] Mumuni told GlobalPost.[/release]
[url]http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/halliburton-500-million-cheney-prison/[/url]
Put Cheney in a 7-9 foot concrete box, he doesn't deserve freedom.
A nigerian prison?
I would pay the money.
[quote]settlement keeping the charges against Cheney out of court[/quote]
[quote]in an investigation of alleged bribery[/quote]
What's the difference? If they accept the money they're fucking hypocrites.
[QUOTE=Latency;26600206]What's the difference? If they accept the money they're fucking hypocrites.[/QUOTE]
Exactly.
[QUOTE=Latency;26600206]What's the difference? If they accept the money they're fucking hypocrites.[/QUOTE]
Hint: Everyone in the Nigerian government is corrupt to the bone. Every single person down to the fucking janitors.
[QUOTE=Splendor;26601064]Hint: Everyone in the Nigerian government is corrupt to the bone. Every single person down to the fucking janitors.[/QUOTE]
I just like to point out the obvious I guess.
They'll wire the money to the Bank Of Nigeria and it'll never be seen again.
This is why life sucks. Why can't that $500 million go towards....say....cancer research? There has GOT to be a better use for $500 million than to keep cheyney out of prison. >_>
[QUOTE=Solo Wing;26601727]This is why life sucks. Why can't that $500 million go towards....say....cancer research? There has GOT to be a better use for $500 million than to keep cheyney out of prison. >_>[/QUOTE]
I've never understood how "why not use the money for x instead" can be a logical argument. Companies aren't obliged to give their money out to research or space travel or some shit and logically why would they do it? I'm not saying I hate the waste of 500 mill to bail out one idiot I don't like (even though Nigeria is hardly the best place to be in prison) but really where's the thought in this wishful thinking stance?
I remember when it was first posted that the Nigerian govt. was going to arrest him. Someone posted that Cheney has strong political connections that would prevent him for serving any time. The company will most likely pay the money
[QUOTE=Solo Wing;26601727]This is why life sucks. Why can't that $500 million go towards....say....cancer research? There has GOT to be a better use for $500 million than to keep cheyney out of prison. >_>[/QUOTE]
Why can't all the money you waste on excess junk food and video games go to cancer research
Well, if you have enough money, you are the law.
Money fixes everything
As long as you have enough of it
[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;26602301]Well, if you have enough money, you are the law.[/QUOTE]
sadly this :(
[editline]10th December 2010[/editline]
[QUOTE=TheTalon;26602403]Money fixes everything
As long as you have enough of it[/QUOTE]
:(
I'm going to become the CEO of some corporation then drive TWO hookers into the water.
Take that Kennedy.
[QUOTE=Ca5bah;26602516]I'm going to become the CEO of some corporation then drive TWO hookers into the water.
Take that Kennedy.[/QUOTE]
I'm going have two wives, and crash a plane in the water, with BOTH of them, and their sisters in it.
Take that Kennedy.
I'm going to have SEVEN wives, then crash several planes in the water, with ALL of them, and all of their children in it.
Take that Kennedy.
Does the USA have extradition to Nigeria?
Can't they just tell Nigeria to fuck off?
I mean, these are some of the most powerful people on the planet, how can you really expect to put one of them in prison?
[QUOTE=Splendor;26601064]Hint: Everyone in the Nigerian government is corrupt to the bone. Every single person down to the fucking janitors.[/QUOTE]
The US government is in on this too. A company bribes someone in Nigeria, but they have to pay the US government $382 million? Nice.
[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;26605260]Does the USA have extradition to Nigeria?
Can't they just tell Nigeria to fuck off?
I mean, these are some of the most powerful people on the planet, how can you really expect to put one of them in prison?[/QUOTE]
US does have an extradition treaty with Nigeria, but given how powerful Cheney is, I think the US and/or Halliburton will tell them to "fuck off". Which, depending on your views, may or may not be a good thing.
Who is Dick Cheney, and what did he do?
He shot somebody when hunting and is a former Vice President of the United States.
He also is a greasy scumbag.
My family was friends with the Cheney family and my mom was best friends with his daughter. He was a really nice man, but all the money ended up corrupting him horribly.
[QUOTE=doggyalt;26601799]I've never understood how "why not use the money for x instead" can be a logical argument. Companies aren't obliged to give their money out to research or space travel or some shit and logically why would they do it? I'm not saying I hate the waste of 500 mill to bail out one idiot I don't like (even though Nigeria is hardly the best place to be in prison) but really where's the thought in this wishful thinking stance?[/QUOTE]
It's not supposed to be an argument. That big amount of money for something so seemingly unproductive just makes you wonder.
[QUOTE=JWJ;26607415]My family was friends with the Cheney family and my mom was best friends with his daughter. He was a really nice man, but all the money ended up corrupting him horribly.[/QUOTE]
Tons of money can do that to people.
[QUOTE=Solo Wing;26601727]This is why life sucks. Why can't that $500 million go towards....say....cancer research? There has GOT to be a better use for $500 million than to keep cheyney out of prison. >_>[/QUOTE]
MAN WHY DON'T COMPANIES JUST GIVE ALL THEIR PROFITS TO CANCER RESEARCH
v
[QUOTE=Tetracycline;26611560]MAN WHY DON'T COMPANIES JUST GIVE ALL THEIR PROFITS TO CANCER RESEARCH
v[/QUOTE]
Thats what i would do, if i had so much money i would give some of it to cancer research and some of it to charity. Because i'm not a greedy mother fucker like most people.
[QUOTE=Fata;26613481]Thats what i would do, if i had so much money i would give some of it to cancer research and some of it to charity. Because i'm not a greedy mother fucker like most people.[/QUOTE]
You're lying.
Why don't you donate some of your money now to charity?
"because I'm not that rich" - bullshit logic, he probably thinks the same way.
[QUOTE=BANNED USER;26599756]
Put Cheney in a 7-9 foot concrete box, he doesn't deserve freedom.[/QUOTE]
How can a box only have two dimensions?
[QUOTE=Phycosymo;26605095]I'm going to have SEVEN wives, then crash several planes in the water, with ALL of them, and all of their children in it.
Take that Kennedy.[/QUOTE]
I'm going to successfully invade Cuba.
Take that Kennedy.
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