Holes in his defence (Cheney ) [View All]

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/20/1077072851593.html


February 21, 2004


The Vice-President of the United States is floundering in bloodied water, and the sharks are circling, writes Marian Wilkinson.

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When the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced two weeks ago that it was joining the Paris public prosecutor's office in examining $US180 million ($227 million) in alleged secret payments to Nigerian officials, Cheney's political enemies took note.

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"A joint venture in which a Halliburton unit participates is under investigation as a result of payments made in connection with a liquefied gas project in Nigeria," the company statement reads. "The Paris prosecutor's office is probing whether the payments were illegal. The US Department of Justice and the SEC have asked Halliburton for co-operation and access to information in reviewing these matters and are reviewing the allegations in light of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act."

Cheney's office has referred all questions on the Nigerian case to Halliburton. So far there is no evidence he knew anything about the payments that were apparently washed through tax shelters in Portugal and Gibraltar. The scheme was first set up several years before Halliburton owned the company involved. But French and US reports indicate the payments did not stop after the takeover when Cheney was CEO.

<snip>

For now he brushes off questions about his public image. "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole?" he asked jokingly in a recent interview with USA Today. "It's a nice way to operate, actually."




Before America was taken over by Bushbots this would have been a big deal. Now you have to go to Australia to find out now that Nigeria is going after Cheney with France. Well, at least it's another nail in the coffin of the evil genius that lives in a hole. Only a slimball would like to operate that way. Must of us prefer the light of day, maybe because most of us don't have so much to hide?