This case can be looked at through many viewpoints.
Nigeria, first of all, is a country that has seen itself come to be known as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Taking this large step to create an entire department in government that exsists to stop corruption is a big step. According to Transparency International, Nigeria now ranks as 134th in the list of most corrupt countries in the world - that's bassically backwards, by the way. On a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being the worst), Nigeria ranks at a 2.4. Transparency Report, 2010
Dick Cheney was arguably the most famous Vice President in recent history. It is a fact that he is responsible for bringing about the evolution of the Vice Presidency position to its current status. He made the position more important than at any other time in history. He created the idea that the Vice President was the number two for everything, and I think he did a good job.
We all remember how much trouble Dick got into during his stint in the White House, right? His stint began in 1969 as Donald Rumsfeld's personal assistant. Cheney would run errands for Rumsfeld, who was then Gerald Ford's Chief Of Staff. Which is probably where he got the idea that the President wasn't the only one in the White House who makes decisions...
Halliburton is a U.S. based company that specializes in manufacturing energy resources. Their current expeditions include Shale Natural Gas, Deep Water Drilling, Heavy Oil, and what is now called "clean" Energy.
I want to take you back to the last time Dick Cheney faced allegations for endangering somebody's life. It was during Summer Break two years ago, while we were still concerned with the White house wire tapping scandal. The Vice President had shot an old man in the face. Anderson Cooper actually made a diagram that pointed out just how long he would have had to be aiming in one direction to make that shot.
Now, the government of Nigeria (that's an entire country) is blaming Dick for bribery. It involves $180 million, so I think he isn't going to squeeze his way out of this one. The case goes back a decade, to when Dick was still a top official at Halliburton, before he had ever become VP of one of the least corrupt nations in the world.
Dick Cheney was CEO from 1995 to 2000.
Allegations of bribery also include the CEO's of four other major oil producing corporations. The charges are in response to allegations that the companies paid $180 million as bribes to Nigerian government officials between 1994 and 2004 to secure a $6 billion gas plant contract.
The four businesses are;
KBR - itself a former subsidiary of Halliburton,
Paris-based Technip, Snamprogetti SpA,
a unit of Rome-based Eni,
and JGC in Tokyo.
Will the world ever get the time to take a break from the big fat Dick?
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