Harpers brings you up to date on the story, including details on the recent guilty plea of a former Haliburton executive, Albert “Jack” Stanley, who last week copped to bribing Nigerian officials.

-- MDT

Labels: bribery, Haliburton, Nigeria

SoxFirst has the update, as well as word on that Siemens / Nigera business.

-- MDT

Labels: BAE, Nigeria, Siemens

Some things make you proud of your home state. Some thing less so... Vernon Jordan would be of the latter category.

Good stuff here from Conde Nast Portfolio.
-- MDT

Labels: bribery, Louisiana, Nigeria, Vernon Jordan

Authorities recently announced a long expected indictment of current Louisiana congressman, William Jefferson. You may recall Jefferson as the individual who, post Katrina, was caught with nearly $100,000 wrapped in tinfoil in his freezer.

Now, knowing Louisiana as I do, I would expect that most politicians have upwards of five figures socked away somewhere in small bills...

What made Jefferson's nest egg particularly notable, was its apparent origins as bribe money relating to Nigerian telecom deals and presidential candidates. The subsequent investigation of Jefferson included a controversial search of Jefferson's congressional offices and the political balance-of-power power squabbling that ensued has remained at a low simmer for months now.

Fueling the Jefferson indictment is evidence from two former associates - Brett Pfeffer, a former congressional aide and Vernon Jackson a telecom exec. Pheffer and Vernon Jackson allegedly funnelled approximately $1million to Jefferson to secure his support for various deals amongst African businessmen and politicians.

Pfeffer and Jackson both struck deals with prosecutors in exchange for dirt on Jefferson, who, as you might imagine, continues to protest his innocence, despite .

-- MDT

Labels: bribery, corruption, indictment, Nigeria, William Jefferson

The Daily Caveat doesn't delve into politics too often (much less Nigerian politics) but there's a story in the May 30th issue of DC political rag, The Hill that's worth reading.

The article details the export of U.S.-style campaign tactics to the democracies in the developing world. Amongst the many prominent players who got a piece of the election action was The James Mintz Group, investigative alma mater for The Daily Caveat.

According to The Hill article, U.S. Justice Department Foreign Agents Registration Office documentation shows that the Mintz Group took in about $16,000 for research and consulting services.

-- MDT

Labels: election, FARA, Mintz Group, Nigeria