News
US Exposes Nigerians, Police In Shaddy Deals
A Fresh allegation of financial sleaze, reminiscent of the Halliburton saga, has again turned world’s attention to Nigerian top officials and the Police.
The festering corruption in Nigerian government’s circles caught the attention of the world on Tuesday as the United States (U.S.) government accused top Nigerian officials in Aso Rock, Nigerian Police Force, Ministry of Industry, a former Nigerian diplomat in Brazil , among others, in a multi-million dollar scandal involving a U.S.-owned business, Daimler, the makers of Mercedes Benz cars.
Halliburton, also a U.S. company recently faced a probe for allegedly bribing top Nigerian officials with $180 million in order to get contracts in Nigeria .Perhaps in its unwillingness to contest U.S. government corruption charges against it, Daimler, according to reports, is now planning a plea bargain with American prosecutors where the company will pay fines of about $185 million to settle the case which was filed on Tuesday at a Washington DC U.S. District Court.
Court papers showed that the U.S. company making German cars and trucks Ð Daimler AG Ð has been engaging in these acts of corruption in 16 countries of the world, spanning about a decade, from 1998 to 2008, violating U.S. bribery laws by showering foreign officials, including in Nigeria, with millions of dollars and gifts of luxury cars to win business deals.
For instance in Nigeria , the court papers show that Daimler made “improper payments to Nigerian governent officials in order to secure business. These payments were authorised at the highest levels of management, and were either improperly recorded in Daimler’s books and records or were not recorded at all.”
Many of the Nigerian deals by Daimler were through the Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company (ANAMMCO), a joint venture between Daimler and the Nigerian government, according to the court papers.
The papers reveal that in Nigeria , Daimler maintained a file labelled “grellberschreitend e Bestechnungen, “ which translates as “cross-border briberies.”
“That file contained a memorandum dated January 21, 1999, from the then head of finance…which stated that Daimler charged the State House approximately 21 per cent over the wholesale price for the vehicles, parts, and services,” according to U.S. court filings.
The court filings showed that in exchange for sales at the Nigerian presidency, referred to as State House in the paper “in 1998, Daimler entered into a contract to sell vehicles to the Nigerian State House, which was also known as the Nigerian Presidential Complex, and was the office and residence of the Nigerian President (the “State House Contract”).
Specifically, on October 5, 1998, the ANAMMCO executive, on behalf of Daimler, agreed to sell 23 new Mercedes Benz passenger vehicles to the State House for DM15,882,302. Additionally, a used MB 600 Pullman limousine was armoured and sold to the Nigerian State House for $365,000. The State House contract was signed by a State House official on behalf of the Nigerian government, and by the ANAMMCO executive. These vehicles were intended for use by high-level members of the Executive branch of the Nigerian government.
Again, the filings stated that “the State House paid Daimler $359,985 for the MB Pullman on December 4, 1998, and DM15,882,317 for the cars on December 14, 1998. In connection with these sales to the State House, Daimler made £1,427,242.65 in improper commission payments funded from TPAs-ie Third Party Account, associated with ANAMMCO, with the understanding that these funds would be passed on, in whole or in part, to Nigerian officials to secure the State House Contract.”
Equally, the U.S. court papers stated that payments were made to “then High-Level Executive Branch Official of Nigeria.”
For example in May 1999, at the request of the ANAMMCO executive, Daimler wired DM800,000 from its accounts in Germany to a numbered Swiss bank account. The payment request, according to the court papers, came from the ANAMMCO executive and the “referenced initials … matched those of a then high-level executive branch official of Nigeria … and the funds were debited from an ANAMMCO TPA upon the approval.”
Again in November 1999, Daimler approved payment of DM200,000 to the London bank account of the un-named “Executive Branch official”.
According to the court filings, “this payment was requested by the ANAMMCO executive, approved by the highest level managers and finance personnel …and debited from an ANAMMCO TPA. The payment instructions from the ANAMMCO executive contain the initials “SH” which ANAMMCO employees used as shorthand for the “State House” deal, and related notes by the ANAMMCO executive also referenced initials that matched those of the Executive Branch official.”
Similarly in November 1999, Daimler approved a payment of DM50,000 to the “chief buyer for State House who signed the State House Contract. The payment was requested by the ANAMMCO executive, approved by senior management and finance personnel, and debited to an ANAMMCO TPA. The payment instructions made reference to “SH.”
There were also alleged cash payments made to different government officials in Aso Rock.
According to U.S. prosecutors, “Daimler also made a variety of cash payments to the ANAMMCO executive in connection with State House transactions. For example, on June 27, 1999, the ANAMMCO executive sent a facsimile… requesting that DM400,000 in cash be disbursed to him against a debtor account used for the State House transaction. The payment instruction indicated that the ANAMMCO executive would pick up the funds when he arrived “on the occasion of the advised visit of (the Executive Branch official).”
Also on March 22, 2000, the ANAMMCO executive requested that Daimler “disburse DM50,000 in cash, which was to be used to make payments to a delegation of State House officials who were visiting a Daimler factory in Sindelfingen , Germany .”
Later that year on October 30, 2000, the ANAMMCO executive again “requested that Daimler disburse DM40,000 in cash”. In connection with this request, Daimler employees prepared a payment instruction referencing “Spare Parts State House.” The payment was debited to an ANAMMCO TPA.”
Similar payments of large bribes were also listed as paid to Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officials, including a bribe of DM150,000 paid in June 17, 2000 and another DM50,000 paid later that year in October 20 in connection with the NPF’s purchase of a Master Lift.
In May 1999, Daimler also allegedly paid DM126,000 to a Nigerian government official from the Ministry of Industry who had signed a February 12, 1999 FIFA contract on behalf of the ministry. Curiously, Daimler later had to pay another employee in that same ministry another sum of DM18,000, because as the U.S. court paper indicated, that employee had witnessed the first bribery.
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