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The failure of the
Federal Government of Nigeria to produce Siemens AG, accused of
conspiring with others to commit the Siemens bribery scam, before an
Abuja High Court yesterday, stalled the arraignment of officials
allegedly involved in over several million dollars Siemens bribery scam.

When the matter
came up yesterday for arraignment of the accused persons, counsel to
the Federal Government, Godwin Obla, told the court that the 1st
accused (Siemens AG), is a foreign entity, and that several attempts to
serve them through the 2nd accused (Siemens Nigeria Limited) was not
fruitful.

He said the
representative of Siemens AG, just arrived from Germany Tuesday by
8p.m, and that counsel to the second accused called him that he is
making efforts to serve them.

Mr. Obla apologised
to the court for the delay in service, stressing that since prosecution
cannot be done on installment, a short adjournment should be granted to
enable him effect service on the first accused.

The trial judge,
Danlami Senchi, adjourned the matter to November 22, to enable the
prosecution produce all the accused persons for arraignment, and
further ruled that the accused persons present in court should enjoy
the administrative bail granted them by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The accused persons
are, Siemens AG, Siemens Limited; Eduard Seidel (at large); Klaus-Peter
Gilbert (at large); Waclaw Lukowicz (at large); Maigada Shuabu, former
executive director, Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN);
Mahmood Sadiq Mohammed, former permanent secretary, ministry of
power/steel; Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ossai, former general manager,
finance, NITEL; and Edwin Moore Momife, former managing director, MTEL.

The thirty-five court charges read, in part:

“That you, Eduard
Seidel (at large), Siemens AG, Siemens Limited, on or about the fifteen
day of August, 2002, within the Abuja Judicial division of the high
court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, conspire among
yourselves to give a valuable thing without consideration to a pubic
servant, Shuaibu Maigada (then executive director, Power Holding
Company of Nigeria Plc.) and to persons to whom a public servant is
related, Aisha Maigida, Yasmin Maigida, Khadija Maigida, Hassan
Maigida, Amina Maigida, and Farouk Maigida, to wit: purchasing
Lufthansa Business Class air ticket in their favour and thereby
committed an offence under section 96(1) (a) of the penal code and
punishable under section 120 of the penal code CAP 532 LFN (Abuja) 1990.

“That you,
Klaus-Peter Gilbert (at large), Waclaw Lukowicz (at large), Siemens AG
and Siemens Limited, on or about the 20th day of July, 2005, within the
Abuja Judicial division of the high court of the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, conspired among yourselves to give valuable
things, without consideration, to public servan t, Mahmood Sadiq
Mohammed (then former permanent secretary, ministry of power/steel);
and persons to whom a public servant is related: Hanif Mohmood,
Khairyyah Moahmood, Hamida Maahmood, and Yusra Mahmood, to wit:
sponsoring medical expenses in Stifung Deutsche Klinik fuer Diagnostik
Gmbh, international patient service, Aukammasl;le 33, 65191, Wiesbaden,
Germany, in their favour and thereby committed an offence under secion
96(1) (a) of the penal code and puinishable under section 120 of the
penal code CAP 532 LFN (Abuja) 1990.

Count 23,”that you,
Scroeterr Jochen (at large), Waclaw Lukowicz (at large), Siemens AG and
Siemens Limited, sometimes in 2007, within the Abuja Judicial Division
of the Federals Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria, having reason to
believe that an offence namely, giving valuable things without
consideration to a public servant has been committed, did conspire
among yourselves to cause evidence of the offence to disappear, to wit:
evacuating expatriate staff of Siemens Nigeria Limited with the
intention of screening the said Siemens AG and Siemens Limited, thereby
committed an offence under section 96 (1) (a) of the penal code,
punishab le under section 167 of the penal code CAP 532 LFN (Abuja)
1990”, count 23 stated.

Some top former officials of the government were alleged to have
received about 10 million euros as bribe from a German te
lecommunication company, Siemens AG.