Halliburton settles with Nigeria
HOUSTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Halliburton said it would pay more than $32 million to settle bribery charges in Nigeria against former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and other executives.
Nigeria accused officials from Halliburton and its former subsidiary KBR of paying as much as $180 million to Nigerian officials to win a $6 billion contract to build a liquefied natural gas plant.
KBR filed a guilty plea in a U.S. court in 2009 on charges that it paid bribes for Nigerian contracts from 1995 to 2004. The company split from Halliburton in 2007.
Cheney resigned from his post as Halliburton chief executive to serve under U.S. President George W. Bush in 2000.
Halliburton announced in a statement that it agreed to pay $32.5 million to the Nigerian government and pay an additional $2.5 million to pay for attorney fees and expenses.
"Pursuant to this agreement, all lawsuits and charges against KBR and Halliburton corporate entities and associated persons have been withdrawn," the company said. Abuja, Halliburton added, agreed to withhold further legal action against Halliburton or its affiliates.
Nigeria blamed former and current executives at both companies. KBR said Chief Executive Officer William Utt, who is charged in the case, wasn't at the company during the time of the alleged bribes.
"The actions of the Nigerian government suggest that its officials are wildly and wrongly asserting blame in this matter," said KBR in an early December statement.
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