By Brad Friedman on 12/7/2010, 2:06pm PT  

Via AP...

LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria's anti-corruption agency on Tuesday charged former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney over a bribery scheme involving oil services firm Halliburton Co. during time he served as its top official, a spokesman said.

The charges stem from a case involving as much as $180 million allegedly paid in bribes to Nigerian officials, said Femi Babafemi, a spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Halliburton and other firms allegedly paid the bribes to win a contract to build a $6 billion liquefied natural gas plant in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, he said.
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Babafemi declined to comment when asked how likely it was that Cheney would be extradited to Nigeria over the charges.

"We are following the laws of the land. We want to follow the laws and see where it will go," the spokesman said. "We're very convinced by the time the trial commences, we'd make application for appropriate court orders to be issued."

For more on the "very awkward position" the U.S. may soon find itself in regarding the possible legal requirement of sending Cheney to Nigeria, with whom we have a long-standing extradition treaty, see our story from last Friday quoting Constitutional law profession Jonathan Turley on this rather interesting turn of events.

No doubt there are plenty of diplomatic cables flying around on this between the U.S. and Nigerian governments right about now. Let's hope someone shares them with WikiLeaks soon.

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