WASHINGTON - Halliburton employees have been accused of
taking up to $6 million in kickbacks from a Kuwaiti subcontractor
that was supplying U.S. soldiers in Iraq, new trouble for Vice
President Dick Cheney's former company.
A Halliburton spokeswoman said the company fired the employees
involved and reported the problem to the Pentagon.
The company disclosed last year that another KBR employee paid
more than $2 million in bribes to a Nigerian official to get
favorable tax treatment. A French judge investigating a KBR joint
venture in Nigeria with a French firm has reportedly warned that
Cheney, who headed Halliburton from 1995 until 2000, could be
subject to criminal charges in France.
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''We found it quickly, and we immediately reported it,''
spokeswoman Wendy Hall said. ''We do not tolerate this kind of
behavior by anyone at any level in any Halliburton company.''
The Pentagon already has in progress a criminal inquiry into
possible overcharging involving another Halliburton contract: the
company's deal to supply gasoline to Iraqi civilians. Democrats
have criticized the contracts and demanded further investigations;
the company has denied wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Halliburton has begun an advertising campaign to
improve its image. A television spot running on CNN says
Halliburton supplies hot meals, laundry and telephone links for
soldiers in Iraq. The ad shows a man in desert camouflage holding a
phone, his lip trembling, and shouting, ''It's a girl!''
''Halliburton. Proud to serve our troops,'' an announcer says.
''Halliburton gets beaten up every day by people who don't have
the facts. We can stand the heat, ... but we will tell our story,''
Hall said. ''Our employees are doing great work in Iraq making life
better for our troops and for the Iraqi people.''
In afternoon trading Friday on the New York Stock Exchange,
Halliburton shares were up 81 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $29.04.
In the latest investigation, Halliburton auditors found a $6
million overcharge by a Kuwaiti subcontractor in its Army supply
contract, Hall said Friday. Part of that money may have been paid
as kickbacks to one or two Halliburton workers, she said.
Hall did not identify the workers or the Kuwaiti subcontractor.
She also did not say how large the alleged kickbacks were.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday it was
up to the Pentagon to determine if wrongdoing occurred.
''From my understanding, I think that's all being looked into by
the Department of Defense, and we expect the Department of Defense
to get to the bottom of it,'' he said. ''If something like this
happened, then (President Bush) expects the Department of Defense
to look into it fully, to get to the bottom of it, and to make sure
that that money is repaid, ... if Halliburton overcharged that
money.''
Both investigations involve Halliburton subsidiary KBR, which
has a contract to supply the Army with food service, mail and other
amenities and a separate one to rebuild Iraqi oil facilities.
Pentagon auditors found KBR may have overcharged by $61 million
for deliveries of gasoline from Kuwait to Iraq from May through
September. KBR's Kuwaiti supplier, the Altanmia Marketing Co.,
charged more than twice what suppliers in Turkey did.
Both Halliburton and the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees
the fuel contract, say the higher price was justified by the danger
faced by fuel convoys and the need to head off Iraqi anger over
gasoline shortages.
The deal to deliver gasoline to Iraqis is part of that second
contract, while the alleged kickbacks were for the Army supply
contract.
The Pentagon's inspector general's office, which is
investigating both allegations, would not comment Friday.
The kickback probe is the first admission by Halliburton that
its employees may have been involved in corruption involving
contracts in Iraq.
The company disclosed last year that another KBR employee paid
more than $2 million in bribes to a Nigerian official to get
favorable tax treatment. A French judge investigating a KBR joint
venture in Nigeria with a French firm has reportedly warned that
Cheney, who headed Halliburton from 1995 until 2000, could be
subject to criminal charges in France. Cheney has denied
wrongdoing.
Democrats renewed on Friday their criticism of Halliburton and
their demands for further investigations into the company's
contracts.
''All of Halliburton's contracts with the government need to be
terminated,'' said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. ''This is a fatal
blow to the company's credibility and the administration's ability
to defend these contracts.''
Critics have cited Halliburton's contracts as evidence of Bush
administration favoritism toward corporate friends. White House and
Pentagon officials say the Defense Department's contract decisions
are not affected by political concerns.
White House spokesman McClellan dismissed Democratic suggestions
that the controversy surrounding Halliburton casts a cloud over the
Bush administration's reconstruction of Iraq. ''There's obviously a
lot of election-year politicking going on,'' he said.
Associated Press writer Liz Sidoti contributed to this report.
On the Net:
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© Copyright 2004 Associated Press
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