Cheney in Firing Line over Nigerian Bribery Claims

By Antony Barnett and Martin Bright

A British lawyer is emerging as a key witness in a $180
million bribery investigation that could lead to the
indictment of US vice president Dick Cheney.

Last week, US oil corporation Halliburton cut all ties with a
former senior executive, Albert Stanley, after it emerged he
had received as much as $5m in ’improper personal benefits’
as part of a $4bn gas project in Nigeria. Halliburton also
sacked a second ’consultant’, William Chaudan in connection
with the bribery allegations. At the time of these alleged
payments, Cheney was chief executive of the corporation.

French investigating magistrate Renaud van Ruymbeke is
examining a stream of payments surrounding the controversial
project which was built during the regime of the late
dictator Sani Abacha. The judge has uncovered a $180m web of
payments channeled through offshore companies and bank
accounts.

The Nigerian project to build a huge gas plant was signed
with an international consortium that included Halliburton
subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root. Cheney retired from the
chief executive post in 2000.

The French judge is considering summoning Cheney to give
evidence in his probe to ascertain whether the US vice
president knew about the alleged commission payments.

Van Ruymbeke has been investigating why the consortium, which
built the gas plant, paid up to $180m to a Gibraltan company
set up by British solicitor Jeffrey Tesler, a partner in law
firm Kaye Tesler & Co, based in Tottenham, north London. Van
Ruymbeke wants to know whether the Gibraltar firm, TriStar
Investments, was used to distribute bribes to win the
contracts. Tesler has declined to answer media questions
about his role in the project.

The Nigerian deal to build a $4bn liquefied natural gas plant
is already subject to a formal investigation by both the US
department of justice and the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

Halliburton’s decision to sever ties with Stanley and Chaudan
recognizes the firm’s difficulty with the corruption
allegations. When the claims initially arose in France the
firm denied any improper activities. A spokesman for
Halliburton said the two executives were dismissed because
they had broken the firm’s ’code of business conduct’.

A statement added: ’While we do not know all of the facts
related to the issue we are taking these actions in response
to the facts that we do have and to protect our investors,
employees, customers and vendors as several investigations
proceed.’

The acknowledgement that Stanley was receiving payments as
part of the Nigeria deal brings the allegations uncomfortably
close to Cheney. Stanley was chairman of Kellogg Brown & Root
– one of Halliburton’s most important subsidiaries. The
company denied that Stanley - who retired as chairman in
December but remained a consultant - would have reported
directly to Cheney.

Neither Stanley, Chaudan or their lawyers have made any
comments on the allegations and the two US directors do not
currently face any legal action.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4952112-102275,00.html