Two human rights groups, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) have described as “diversionary and unnecessary” the establishment of a high level committee to unravel the identities of all those behind the Halliburton bribe-for-contract deal announced on Wednesday by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa.

Mr Aondoakaa had said that the State Security Service (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), office of Inspector-General of Police and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would be part of the committee. He also insisted that the government does not have “quality evidence” that could be used in court to successfully prosecute anyone accused in the case as government was in a hurry to do so.

But in a joint public statement signed by SERAP’s Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni and CDHR President Olasupo Ojo, the groups stated that “Given that the Halliburton case has been successfully prosecuted in the US, and the US perpetrators have been effectively brought justice,  it should not take the establishment of a committee to get hold of the court papers and judgment, and on the basis of this, to immediately arrest and interrogate all the Nigerian suspects involved with a view to bringing them to justice.”

According to the groups, “Since it did not take the establishment of a committee for the government to trace $150 million of the $180 million involved to Swiss accounts, it should be very straightforward for the government to go back to the Swiss banks to get additional information on the details of the account-holders. Furthermore, since both Nigeria and the US are states parties to the UN Convention against Corruption, obtaining any information in this case should not be a lengthy and complicated process.”

The groups also said that “Rather than helping to speedily resolve the matter, a bureaucratic committee can only contribute to delaying the process, and thereby delaying justice. This would continue to deny justice to millions of Nigerians that have been affected by the Halliburton bribe-for-contract deal.” 

“Given conflicting and contradictory statements from the government on whether or not the names of the suspects are known---on the one hand the minister of justice said the names of suspects are unknown---on the other hand the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said that it is interrogating suspects---the way forward is for the government to ensure a proper and transparent inquiry, by immediately releasing the names of the Nigerian suspects to the public. This will be in the interest of openness and honesty, which the government has consistently preached,” the groups added.

The groups also said that, “Rather than engaging in diversionary tactics which can only continue to portray the government’s lack of political will to fight corruption, we urge President Yar’Adua to immediately ask the minister of justice to release to the Nigerian public names of suspects involved in the Halliburton scandal. The government should also immediately take up the offer of cooperation by the Swiss government, by making a request for the repatriation of the $150 million stashed in Swiss accounts. The government should put both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to proper and effective use in this case.”

“The government would need to act quickly to demonstrate to Nigerians that it is truly committed to exercising sufficient political will and honest leadership to address the persistent problem of corruption in the country,” the groups added.

Adetokunbo Mumuni

Executive Director

Olasupo Ojo

President, CHDR

16 April 2009