Cheney man 'won' $6B Nigerian contracts
Wall Street Journal Sep 4, 08 4:04 AM CDT
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A fired Halliburton exec has pleaded guilty to bribing Nigerian government officials, the Wall Street Journal reports. Albert Stanley, CEO of KBR when it was a Halliburton subsidiary, faces up to 7 years in jail and a restitution payment of nearly $11 million. Stanley was appointed by Vice President Dick Cheney, and many of the bribes occurred when Cheney still ran Halliburton.
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US aluminum giant bribed, defrauded, and overcharged, lawsuit alleges
Wall Street Journal Feb 28, 08 10:47 AM CST
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A company controlled by Bahrain's government has filed a lawsuit in US federal court accusing metals giant Alcoa of a host of shady business practices, the Wall Street Journal reports. Pittsburgh-based Alcoa, one of the world's biggest aluminum companies, systematically overcharged Bahrain Aluminum for raw materials and funneled money to corrupt officials during a 15-year conspiracy, the suit charges.
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How international prosecutors dug up suspicious payments
Wall Street Journal Dec 28, 07 8:40 AM CST
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In one of the world's largest corporate bribery scandals in recent years, German industrial giant Siemens allegedly channeled millions of euros in bribes to customers in Nigeria, Russia, Libya, and other countries to win infrastructure contracts. The Wall Street Journal traces the unearthing of the Siemens case across four years of investigations in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany.
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South African prosecutor says indictment is 'imminent'
Mail & Guardian (South Africa) Dec 20, 07 7:03 AM CST
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The annual conference of the African National Congress isn't even over yet, and already newly elected leader Jacob Zuma is facing the prospect of new criminal charges. South Africa's head prosecutor said he has gathered enough evidence to charge Zuma with corruption linked to a 1999 arms deal, reports the Mail and Guardian . An aide is currently serving a 15-year sentence for soliciting bribes for Zuma.
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Town rallies around high-profile Grisham pal accused of bribery
Wall Street Journal Dec 4, 07 4:35 PM CST
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As he greeted party guests, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs—the trial lawyer famous for taking down Big Tobacco and taking on Katrina insurance companies—didn’t look like someone who had just been indicted. And though prosecutors say he conspired to bribe the judge in his latest case, Oxford, Miss., isn't buying it. The Wall Street Journal pays a visit.
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Dickie Scruggs, others accused of trying to steer legal fees
New York Times Nov 29, 07 4:24 AM CST
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Trent Lott's brother-in-law Richard "Dickie" Scruggs has been indicted on bribery charges for allegedly offering cash to a judge to steer legal fees in a Katrina insurance case, reports the New York Times . Four other attorneys, including Scruggs' son, also face charges. Scruggs is best known for winning a $248 billion settlement from the tobacco industry.
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Houston's Wyatt
paid off Saddam
to secure contract
Houston Chronicle Nov 27, 07 5:51 PM CST
(Newser)
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A prominent Texas oilman will spend about a year in prison for paying off Saddam's regime to secure a big oil contract. Oscar Wyatt, 83, admitting violating the UN's oil-for-food program by paying a secret Iraqi surcharge of $200,000—essentially a bribe. A judge sentenced Wyatt to a year and a day, though he can get about 2 months off for good behavior, the Houston Chronicle reports.
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Bribery scandal spreads from Juneau to DC
Washington Post Nov 12, 07 4:07 PM CST
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Back-room backslaps, pockets stuffed with $100 bills, and the odd Viagra pill—the Washington Post looks at the freewheeling frontier-style corruption exposed in oil-rich Alaska over the last few years, as elected representatives on every level were caught in scandals and many entered guilty pleas. Now the stain is threatening to spill out of Juneau to Washington, with the state's lone congressman and one senator under scrutiny.
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Booze & backpacks among lures for Russian voters
Breitbart Nov 1, 07 3:24 AM CDT
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Free bottles of vodka are among the gifts Russia's ruling party is using to lure voters in upcoming elections, reports Agence France Presse . President Vladimir Putin's party, United Russia, has also stamped its logo on backpacks and lids for the jam jars many Russians fill to get through the winter.
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Soldiers, civilians charged with taking bribes in Iraq
New York Times Sep 24, 07 9:06 AM CDT
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The Pentagon is investigating widespread graft involving US war-zone contracts, with 29 soldiers and civilians charged so far, the New York Times reports. Most of the scrutiny focuses on a contracting office in Kuwait, where an Army major is charged with taking $10 million in bribes from companies seeking contracts in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
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After 18-month probe, dragnet hauls in state legislators, mayors
Star-Ledger Sep 6, 07 4:31 PM CDT
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Following an 18-month corruption probe, FBI raids across New Jersey snared 11 public officials today, and all will face bribery charges, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. The officials, including the mayors of Passaic and Orange, were charged with accepting a total of $150,000 in bribes for steering public contracts to particular companies.
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21 others barred from government work in ongoing scandal probe
New York Times Aug 31, 07 4:51 AM CDT
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An American company paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to secure some $12 million in contracts in Iraq and Kuwait, despite poor performance on earlier work, according to court documents obtained by the New York Times . Lee Dynamics International was suspended from seeking government work after an Army officer admitted to taking $225,000 in bribes before killing herself last year.
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Councilman collected $20K for contract in city plagued by problems
Times-Picayune (New Orleans) Aug 14, 07 2:39 AM CDT
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As if New Orleans didn't have enough to contend with, a city councilman yesterday pleaded guilty to accepting $20,000 in bribes and resigned. Oliver Thomas confessed he collected the money from a restaurateur seeking to keep a lucrative city contract. He also demanded the businessman hire a friend of his, who paid further kickbacks to Thomas.
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De Villepin will be grilled over Sarkozy smear campaign
BBC Jul 27, 07 4:47 PM CDT
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Dominique de Villepin, France's former PM and a longtime rival of president Nicolas Sarkozy, will undergo a formal investigation for his alleged role in improperly smearing Sarkozy. De Villepin denies involvement in the scandal which may also implicate former president Jacques Chirac, but the announcement is seen as a step towards criminal charges.
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La. Congressman faces 16-count federal indictment, 235 years
Associated Press Jun 4, 07 2:06 PM CDT
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Federal officials indicted Rep. William Jefferson today, charging him with bribery, racketeering, money-laundering, and other misdeeds that could carry a sentence of up to 235 years. The Louisiana Democrat, the target of a lengthy investigation into business deals in Africa, has maintained his innocence, even after investigators found $90,000 in cash in his freezer in 2005.
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Bribery conviction signals pharmaceutical industry crackdown
BBC May 29, 07 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser)
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China's former top food and drug watchdog was sentenced to death today after being convicted of corruption and dereliction of duty. In the midst of an international uproar over food and pharmaceutical standards, the government found that Zheng Xiaoyu, 63, who was forced out in 2005, accepted more than $850,000 in bribes to approve questionable drugs and medical licenses.
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