$6 MILLION WILLBROSS BRIBE: U.S COURT MAY SUBPOENA PDP, OBASEKI, KUPOLOKUN

Funso Kupolokun, Former NNPC GMD

Top functionaries of the ruling party in Nigeria, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and former Group Managing Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Gaius Obaseki and Mr. Funso Kupolokun may be subpoenaed as possible accomplices in a $6 Million (N750 Million).

The Justice Department had announced on Monday that a former executive of Willbross Group, a company based in Panama with administrative headquarters in Houston, Texas had confessed to acting in concert with other top level executives to bribe officials of NNPC and the ruling PDP in other to secure juicy pipeline construction contract with a joint venture controlled by the NNPC. The project is said be worth $388 Million (N40Billion).

The NNPC seems to be sinking deeper into the hole of several litigations concerning bribery and corruption. Another Federal District Court in New Orleans, Louisiana would be ruling in unrelated charges of bribing international arbitrators with $50 Million to secure a favorable decision in a case between it (NNPC) and Gulf-Petro Trading Company Inc. Sena Anthony is said to have facilitated the bribery along with Prince Bola Ajibola, Nigeria's former Ambassador to UK.

The embattled former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori had purchased the operations and assets of Willbross International in Nigeria for $155 Million. The company was facing harassment and kidnap of its workers in the Niger Delta Area.

Gaius Obaseki, Former GMD, NNPC

A 37 year old Executive of Willbross, Jason Edward Steph had confessed to interrogators that he colluded with others including the former Managing Director of Willbross International, Jim Bob Brown to “funnel” $6million to Nigeria as bribery package to officials within the PDP, NNPC and the Nigerian Government to ease chances of securing the juicy contract.

According to Steph while pleading guilty before a U.S District Court in North Texas presided over by Judge Sim Lake, he had agreed with Brown to funnel money to Nigerian officials.

Based on the confessions of the former Willbross Executive, Pointblanknews.com learnt from a Justice Department Source that an official of the NNPC who served as the Group managing Director at the time of the crime, an official of the PDP, a former Governor and another top Government functionary at the Presidency, if need be would be invited to testify.

“We want to be able to ascertain that U.S citizens are not breaking any laws in respect of overseas investments and trading practices.” Yes, we are pursuing this case under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.”

Steph faces a possible sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Justice Department officials said.

Lake set his sentencing for January 28. A Willbros spokeswoman declined to comment Monday on Steph's plea agreement.

Last week, Willbros agreed to pay more than $32 million to settle federal investigations of its dealings in Nigeria, Bolivia and Ecuador.

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