The United States has said the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
has all it needs to prosecute all those
implicated in the Halliburton scandal
including Mrs. Aisha M. Buhari who
allegedly wired $170,000.00 in bribe to disgraced Congressman Williams J.
Jefferson in 2002.
A 16-count indictment, returned by a federal
grand jury in Alexandria, Va., charged Jefferson
with solicitation of bribes from Nigeria and other
places, honest services wire fraud, money
laundering, obstruction of justice, violating the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, racketeering, and conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that from in or about
August 2000 through in or about August 2005,
Jefferson, while serving as an elected member of
the U.S. House of Representatives, used his position
and his office to corruptly seek, solicit and direct
that things of value be paid to Jefferson and his family members in exchange for his performance
of official acts to advance the interests of people
and businesses who offered him the bribes.
The U.S Justice Department had at the time
requested the EFCC through a letter with Ref:
MEW:DPW:KDL:AV 1 File 182.23818 dated June 22,
2006 to investigate Mrs. Aisha M. Buhari and
several others linked with bribing Congressman
Jefferson.
Atiku, chairing of the Petroleum Technology
Development Fund, PTDF, then, was, alongside US
Congressman Williams J. Jefferson, Siemens,
Halliburton, and others, indicted in a U.S. Senate
report sent to the EFCC for investigation in 2006.
Peter Carr, Spokesman of the DOJ confirmed the
Sentencing memo of Jefferson which indicted
Aisha M. Buhari, Abubakar Atiku and others but
declined to speak further on the issue.
“Thank you for reaching out to us. We’ll decline to
comment beyond what is referenced in the
comments sentencing memorandum,” Carr said.
A source in DOJ disclosed that because Jefferson is
currently appealing some of his convictions, DOJ
may not want to comment further on the matter.
The Sentencing Memorandum obtained from the
U.S District Court Eastern District of Virginia listed as
exhibit, a wire transfer to Congressman Jefferson
from an account owned by Aisha M. Buhari.
“…See also Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02
$170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the
name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William
Jefferson” as Beneficiary), Government Exhibits
36-90
and 36-91 (11/28/03 $50,000 wire transfer from
account in British Virgin Islands in the name of Dawson Creek Traders to an account in the name
of Jefferson Interests, Inc.),” the 37page
sentencing memo said on its page 22.
Curiously, since President Mohammadu Buhari was
elected President, the first lady has never followed
him to his numerous U.S trips. At the United Nations
General Assembly in 2015, she rather sent the wife
of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to represent
her at the First Lady’s Conference of UNGA. Sources disclosed that even though Jefferson is
currently serving Jail time, those linked to his crime
are still being sort after for questioning.
The source confirmed that while Mr. Kachikwu
offered to testify against Jefferson, Mrs. Buhari was
nowhere to be found during the FBI probe of the
matter, reason why she has stayed away from the
U.S.
The U.S Senate report, FBI reports and U.S Court
papers on the allegations have remained in the
coolers of the EFCC as the agency appears to be
lacking the political will to carrying on the
prosecution.
U.S Investigators had in 2006 asked the EFCC to
investigate Bank records of accounts held by
Hajiya Aisha M. Buhari from January, 2001, to
present, including, but not limited to, accounts at
Citizen International Bank, Plot 130, Ahmadu Bello
Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. The bank records should include documents relating to any
wire transfers of $10,000 or more.
Although the Presidency through a text message
by Mallam Garba Shehu said the Aisha M. Buhari is
not the same as the President’s wife. U.S
investigators said investigations by EFCC would
identify the real Aisha M. Buhari named in the
documents.
Shehu had also threatened to sue any media
house should they publish any reports linking the
first lady to the Halliburton/iGate scandal.
The FBI had also asked the EFCC to investigate:
a. Any and all documents in the possession of
NDTV and its present or former officers,
employees, or representative (including, but not
limited to, Otunba Oyewole Fashawe, Ahmed
Vanderpuije, Dumebi Kachikwu) relating to or involving some of the above listed individuals and
entities
b. Any and all documents in the possession of any
Nigeria public official or agency- including but not
limited to the Nigerian Communications
Commission, Ministry of Communications, Nigerian
Embassy to the United States, Nitel, and the
Managing Director of Nitel- relating to or involving some of the above listed individuals and entities
c. Correspondences between United States
Congressman Williams Jefferson and Vice President
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar relating to any U.S. based
business venture in Nigeria
d. Correspondences between United States
Congressman Williams Jefferson and Jamilah
Jennifer Atiku- Abubakar , wife of Vice President
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, relating to any U.S. based
business ventures in Nigeria
e. Correspondence between iGate, including its
officers and representatives and Vice President
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and any other Nigerian
Public official
f. Correspondence between NDTV, including its
officers and representatives and Vice President
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and any other Nigerian
public official.
g. Correspondence between Atiku Abubakar (or
any of his subordinates or representatives), and
any government official or agency, including Nitel,
relating to some of the above listed individuals and
entities
h. Any and all documents in the possession of
Rosecom.Net and its present or former officers,
employees, or representatives (including Suleiman
Yahyah) and any Nigerian public official or agency
( including Nitel and its officials, employees or
representatives) relating to business ventures involving IGate or W2-IBBS Limited.
i.Any and all records and documents relating to
any concessions for petroleum products
transferred to some of the listed individuals or
entities
j.Toll records from January 2001 to the present for
telephone 234803504000, which number has
been used or subscribed by Atonte Diete –Spiff
k. Any and all documents in the possession of the
Nigerian Embassy in the United States related to
any travel to Nigeria by Congressman Williams
Jefferson in connection with U.S. business ventures
in Nigeria, including, but not limited to.
l. Records from the Sheraton Hotel & Towers
related to the stay of Congressman William
Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, and any other party
affiliated with Jefferson and Jackson during the
February, 2004 trip
m. Records from the Sheraton Hotel & Towers
related to the stay of Congressman William
Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, Patrick Gerdes, Adolfo
Lambaren, BK Son, and any other party affiliated
with Jefferson and Jackson during the May, 2004
trip.
n. Records and filing relating to some of the listed
entities. The requested documents include, but are
not limited to company formation documents,
shareholder documents, ownership record,
management documents, documents relating to
payment of fees related to company filings, and any other company information. The request was
particular on Diverse Communications Limited, a
company associated with William J. Jefferson
through which he was to collect kickback in form
of percentage of profit for his official act in respect
of NDTV / IGate deal
o. Bank records of accounts held by Ahmed
Vanderpuije, Otumba Fashawe NDTV, and Dumebi
Kachiku from January, 2003 to present, including,
but not limited to, accounts held in Trans
International Bank, Transcontinental Bank, Citizen
International Bank, Standard Trust Bank, and Continental Trust bank.
p. Bank records relating to any payment or
transfer of funds from the Petroleum Trust
Development Fund to any accounts held by NDTV,
Vanderpuije, Fashawe and Kachiku (including but
not limited to any accounts held a NDTV,
Vanderpuije, Fashawe and Kachiku (including but
not limited to any accounts held at the Trans
International Bank)
q. Bank records relating to any payment or
transfer of funds from PTDF for or on behalf of
NDTV, Ahmed Vanderpuije, Otumba Fashawe, or
Dumebi Kachikwu, to any accounts held by some
listed entities and individuals.
r. Bank records of accounts held by Hajiya Aisha M.
Buhari from January, 2001, to present, including,
but not limited to, accounts at Citizen International
Bank, Plot 130, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island,
Lagos, Nigeria. The bank records should include
documents relating to any wire transfers of $10,000 or more.
s.Bank Records of accounts held by Maureen
Scurry, also known as Maureen Edu, from January,
2003 to the present.
t. Bank Records of accounts held by Atonte-Diete
Spiff and /or Providence International from
January 2001, to present, including, but not limited
to, account at FSB International Bank, 23 Awolowo
Road, Ikoyi Lagos; Pacific Bank Limited Lagos;
Eagle Bank Limited Lagos.
u. Bank records held by Allison K. Anadi from
January 2001 to present including but not limited
to, accounts at Assurance Bank. The bank records
should include documents relating to wire transfer
of $5,000 or more.
v. Bank records for any account held by listed
companies from the date of the opening of any
such accounts to the present.
w. Property transfer records and loan/mortgage
records (including applications, correspondences,
and documents referring to collateral or security
for the loan) relating to the purchase of plot 555
Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent Wuse II Abuja
(Location of NDTV office ).
x. Correspondences and communication
(electronic or otherwise) between officials, agents,
or employees of standard Trust Bank and Maureen
Scurry, also known as Maureen Edu, related to
financing on behalf of NDTV and/ or IGate.
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