It may not be the Texas oilmen we’d like to plead guilty, but it is going to make others think twice before they bribe dictators to do their oil deals.
Texas oilman Oscar Wyatt Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to charges that hepaid millions of dollars to Iraqi officials to illegally win contractsconnected to the United Nations oil-for-food program.
[snip]
During the trial, prosecutors demonstrated that Wyatt had such a closerelationship with Iraq that he was able to meet personally with Iraqileader Saddam Hussein in December 1990 to argue for the release ofAmericans being held as potential shields in the event of a U.S.-Iraqwar.
Prosecutors played a tape for the jury of the conversation in whichHussein promised Wyatt that Americans would be released as Wyatt andformer Texas Gov. John Connally spoke sympathetically about Iraq’splight.
The government insisted that Wyatt later took advantage of thatrelationship to secure the first contract under the oil-for-foodprogram and to continue to receive oil deals after other Americancompanies were shut off prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Speaking of Texas oilmen, last I checked there were ongoing allegations that Halliburton had bribed the Nigerian government to make their oil deals when one Dick Cheney was Halliburton’s CEO. I wonder if he’ll even be charged.