Cheney to be Prosecuted? (By the French)

News24 [Cape town, SA] ^ | December 20, 2003 | Agence France-Presse

[quidnunc]

Paris – A French prosecutor is examining whether to prosecute US Vice President Dick Cheney over alleged complicity in the abuse of corporate assets dating from the time he was head of the services company Halliburton, the French newspaper Le Figaro said on Saturday.

The case stems from a contract by a consortium including the American company Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), a Halliburton subsidiary, and a French company, Technip, to supply a gas complex to Nigeria, the newspaper reported.

A Paris investigating magistrate has been conducting investigations since October into allegations that $180m were paid in secret commissions during the late 1990s up to 2002 from funds established by the consortium in Madeira, the report said.

Cheney was Halliburton's chief executive between 1995 and 2000.

In a letter to the attorney-general's department, magistrate Reynaud van Ruymbeke ruled out directly prosecuting Cheney on a charge of bribing foreign officials, Le Figaro said.

But the official did not exclude the possibility of prosecution on the grounds of complicity in misuse of corporate assets, it added.

[quidnunc]

This probably has something to do with that financial scandal in California which the French government just settled for half a billion dollars or so.

[international american]

ROTFLMAO!

[samtheman]

Cheney should call in an air strike.

[squidly]

Foreign companies can't do business in Nigeria without bribing their public officials. Either France prosecutes all companies that pay out, or this is just a political sham. You already know the answer.

[Ole Okie]

Cheney should call in an air strike.

We don't have time to mess around with the surrendering French right now.

Fashion note: white flags are in style around gay Paree right now.

[aimhigh]

Note the timing of this.

[reformed_democrat]

Isn't this just the height of hubris!?!

What do they intend to do, send a Process Server to the Naval Observatory?

[raptor29]

The only place this guff will have any legs is over on DU. What a joke.

[EGPWS]

A French prosecutor is examining whether to prosecute US Vice President Dick Cheney over alleged complicity in the abuse of corporate assets dating from the time he was head of the services company Halliburton, the French newspaper Le Figaro said on Saturday.

So Hillary, Bill, and Terry have to go oversea's to promote their political agenda?

LoL's!

[Dog Gone]

If anybody bribed anybody, it was the French company involved in the dealing.

[Tribune7]

Or maybe it's an attempt to make a preventive strike to protect Chirac for being prosecuted for crimes against humanity for his knowing support of Hussein's tortures.

Chirac should be investigated. Seriously.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

You're right about doing business in Nigeria (or anyplace in Africa). Notice all the other "qualifying" terms used in this article: "complicity in the abuse of corporate assets"; "a contract by a consortium including the American company Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), a Halliburton subsidiary, and a French company, Technip,"; "A Paris investigating magistrate has been conducting investigations since October into allegations that $180m were paid in secret commissions during the late 1990s up to 2002 from funds established by the consortium in Madeira, the report said."

Nice of the French Magistrate to "rule out procsecuting Vice President Cheney directly..."

Now about this "misuse of corporate assets": this is something in which the French are very knowledgeable and highly capable. I wonder how much control Haliburton had over this "consortium" of its "subsidiary" and this "French company".

And the Democrats want us to "internationalize" our efforts in Iraq, and be less unilateral in our foreign policies... and justices on the Supreme Court are now thinking about looking to the "international community" to inform on our legal interpretations.

[quidnunc]

Tribune7 wrote: Chirac should be investigated. Seriously.

He has been, and there are pending charges of official corruption from his tenure as mayor of Paris.

He can't be prosecuted as long as he's president of France, which is why he's clinging to power so tenaciously.

[Conservative4Ever]

This is the funniest thing I have read all day...LOL...*wiping tears of laughter from eyes*

The french....

Red

[CWOJackson]

Sure thing there France...and by the way, we're sending you the bill for liberating your slimy green butts.

[Republican Wildcat]

Chirac is a criminal. That's one reason he ran for President--to avoid prosecution, as French presidents are above the law.

[Swanks]

Maybe France would like to send some gaurndarmes to get him. The're bucking for another 25% decrease in tourism and Merlot consumption. Arrogant a**holes.

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[mylife]

Heaven forbid these French panty testers would focus on FINA instead of the US company Halliburton. What a Laff! Good luck Pierre!