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The Federal
Government entered into deal with Julius Berger over the Halliburton
bribery scandal because the Nigerian law dealing with corporate
criminality is weak, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the
Federation, Mohammd Bello Adoke has said.

He also spoke of the need to ensure the early resolution of the matter in the greater national interest.

Mr Adoke, who
presented the ministerial score card of the Ministry in Abuja
yesterday, said the ministry and the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) recovered money and assets worth N191billion form
Cecilia Ibru and her associated companies in the year under review.

He said he found
it necessary to use the occasion to highlight the approach adopted by
the ministry in addressing the prosecution of certain high profile
economic crimes committed by some individuals and corporate entities
(local and foreign ) against the Nigerian state.

“I refer
particularly to the ongoing prosecution of some bank executives and
multinational corporations for economic crimes and corrupt practices,”
he said.

He also said the
ministry has commenced the prosecution of individuals and multinational
companies indicted in the Halliburton bribery scandals.

“As a result of
government’s resolve to prosecute those indicted, Julius Berger,
Siemens, Saipem, Technip, and Halliburton Inc. were charged to court.
To avert prosecution, these companies approached us with various
settlement options for consideration,” he said.

Easy way out

He said in
resolving these cases, the ministry took cognizance of the weakness of
Nigeria’s penal provisions dealing with corporate criminal liability
before adopting international best practices, by emphasising on
‘restitution’ that would ensure direct benefit to the Nigerian
Government as the ‘victim State’. Accordingly, a total sum of $170.8
million has been paid as penal fines to the Federal Government.

The minister said
he directed the commencement of the review of the country’s penal
provisions to properly address the reality of corporate criminality by
providing appropriate sanctions that would ensure deterrence in the
country.

Nigeria will be
richer with $255 million by the time all the monies the companies
agreed to pay are collected, he said, explaining that only $35 million
was realised from Halliburton alone and that three, out of the four
companies involved in the scandal have so far paid $95 million.

He said about $130
million of these monies are held in banks at Monaco and Geneva, adding
that government is doing everything to recover the money from the
indicted companies.

Mr Adoke threatened
that government will ensure that all those involved in the civil
disturbances in Jos and the Boko Haram crises in some states in the
North-East geopolitical zone will be prosecuted.

He said the ministry has obtained the files on the alleged extra
judicial killings involving some police officers during the Boko Haram
crises and has commenced consultation with Borno State Ministry of
Justice in order to ensure early prosecution.