Connect with us

General News

Report Fingers Jeb Bush in Dirty Nigerian Deals

Published

on

Jeb Bush
Kindly share this post

Jeb Bush was the son of the sitting U.S. president when he was greeted in Nigeria as a hero, leading a 21-person delegation to the country in 1989.

“The visit was the grandest celebration of U.S.-Nigeria friendship we have seen in recent memory,” read a U.S. State Department diplomatic cable at the time titled “Nigeria Goes All out for Jeb Bush visit.”

During a visit to Lagos, then-Nigerian President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Jaja Nwachukwu, former External Affairs minister gave Bush gifts. Bush returned the favor by giving a medal from the inauguration of his father, President George H.W. Bush.

But this was a business trip for Jeb Bush, part of his job helping in sales for MWI Corporation, a South Florida company that last year was found guilty in a federal civil case of misleading the U.S. government to secure taxpayer-funded loans.

New details uncovered by Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers in depositions and confidential FBI interviews reveal claims that Bush made more on MWI business deals than the $648,000 he has acknowledged publicly and he made money on the Nigeria project at the center of the federal investigation.

Former MWI employees contradicted Bush’s earlier statements insisting that he never received a penny from the Nigeria project, but those workers did not provide proof nor did investigators seek it, according to the documents.

Bush, who co-owned the Bush-El company to work with MWI, was never a target or accused of any wrongdoing in the federal case that ended with a verdict last June against the company.

Federal investigators could find no evidence tying him to wrongdoing discovered in the Nigeria pump deal, although at the time they didn’t rule it out, according to a confidential January 2002 U.S. Department of Justice memo obtained by Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers.

“We do not now have evidence that Bush had any involvement in the contracts at issue in the relator’s complaint, though this remains a possibility,” according to the memo.

As Bush prepares a run for president, his business record will come under intense scrutiny.

The MWI deal is the second venture in which investors eagerly sought his involvement, yet ultimately the deals ended in litigation and federal scrutiny. Bush also has faced questions about ties to a bankrupt South Florida company whose leaders were convicted of fraud and money laundering.

The Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers offered Bush an opportunity to review and discuss his company’s work with MWI, but spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said he declined.

“Governor Bush’s previously released tax returns detail all of his earnings from Bush-El. As he has confirmed multiple times, he recused himself from any compensation related to the projects in Nigeria. Anything to the contrary is flat out not true,” Campbell said in a written statement.

“The federal government specifically did not include a company Governor Bush previously worked with in the complaint they filed.

Two years ago, a judge in the ongoing MWI litigation specifically declined to include anything related to Bush-El in the litigation because there is not even a mention of the former company in the plaintiff’s complaint.

There is nothing suggesting that Governor Bush has done anything that was not appropriate,” Campbell’s statement reads.

For roughly three years starting in 1998, MWI was in the crosshairs of FBI agents and federal prosecutors.

And Bush’s name came up several times, according to investigative records and other case documents, including confidential FBI reports of interviews, obtained by Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers.

Investigators were interviewing former employees of the pump company to determine if they should intervene in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former company vice president.

The feds were interested in the case because the Nigeria deal was financed through the Export-Import Bank, a federal entity that offers loans so that U.S. companies can increase exports to spur job creation.

Over a two day span in March 1992, the bank gave final approval to eight separate loans totaling $74.3 million. The money went to Nigeria, which used it to purchase MWI pumps.

In January 2002, federal prosecutors filed a civil case against MWI, accusing the company of failing to disclose nearly $30 million in commissions paid to Alhaji Indimi, its Nigerian sales agent who later became an oil baron and one of the richest people in Africa.

After a more than 12-year legal saga, a federal jury in Washington found MWI guilty in June of not reporting the commissions used to buy luxury cars, mansions, and a swanky golf outing for Indimi.

While never accused of wrongdoing, Bush’s role with MWI came up during FBI interviews and depositions as investigators reviewed the company’s practices.

They wanted to know more about Bush-El, the company Bush ran with MWI owner David Eller from 1988-1993 to market MWI pumps oversees.

During his failed 1994 bid for Florida governor, Bush said he reported $648,000 on tax returns for his work at Bush-El, but no income came from the Nigeria project.

Federal investigators heard a different story from former MWI employees, who said he earned a higher figure, although all offered different amounts.

The Justice Department memo citing Bush also references an FBI interview from former employee Mike Carcamo, who worked at MWI from 1988-1994. He told FBI agents that Bush-El had a contract with MWI to receive 3 percent on projects in a handful of countries, including Nigeria.

Irma Needelman, who served as secretary to the company’s sales staff for nine years, also told FBI agents and federal prosecutors that Bush made amounts greater than he had publicly acknowledged from MWI.

Another former executive said Bush’s company made 5 percent on projects, including from Nigeria.

The Justice Department memo came from the office of Robert D. McCallum, who ran DOJ’s civil division at the time.

A Yale University classmate of President George W. Bush, fellow member of the Skull and Bones society and decades-long friend, Bush appointed McCallum in 2001 as assistant attorney general for the civil division.

In an interview with Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers, McCallum said he did “not have recollection of the case.”

While his name surfaced in the investigation, Jeb Bush was not cited, nor was Bush-El, in the federal government’s civil complaint. That meant any money he or his company received and anything about his role with MWI could not be brought up at trial.

The whistleblower suit, filed by former company vice president Robert Purcell, did cite Bush-El. Purcell said in his lawsuit, among other things, that commissions to Indimi were higher than Export-Import bank allowed so he could bribe Nigerian officials, and that MWI transferred commissions he was supposed to receive to Bush-El.

Nicole Navas, a Justice Department spokeswoman, declined to comment on why Bush-El was left out of the government’s lawsuit, noting it’s “still pending litigation.”

Through a company attorney, Eller and other current MWI employees declined comment because of an ongoing appeal in the case. Purcell also declined comment.

Bush-El was a company created, in part, to harness Bush’s political star power, according to testimony in the civil case.

“He was the high lama. I mean, you know, he was God walking on water,” Greg Johnson, the company’s former pilot, said in his deposition of a 1989 trip Bush took to Nigeria for MWI. “I mean, the son of the president of the United States.”

At least three former MWI employees said under oath that Bush received anywhere from $800,000 to 5 percent of MWI sales. While specific sales numbers were not readily available, the company saw a $16 million increase in net sales from 1993 to 1994 attributed primarily to the Nigeria project, according to testimony from the financial officer.

Carcamo worked for the company for six years, including working directly on the Nigeria deal. His boss was Juan Ponce, MWI’s former vice president of international sales. Carcamo told FBI agents that Bush’s contract with MWI provided commissions on sales in a host of countries, including Nigeria.

“Carcamo advised that Jeb Bush had a contract with David Eller in 1989 that entitled Bush to three percent of all sales to Malaysia, Taiwan, Nigeria, Thailand, and Mexico,” according to the FBI report on Caramo’s 1999 interview.

In a recent interview with Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers, Carcamo said Bush made $1.7 million directly from the Nigerian deal, which was paid in 1993 as he was leaving the company to run for governor. That separate contract was not mentioned in the FBI interview, but Carcamo says he saw a copy of the deal. He could not offer documentation.

Needelman, the former company secretary for nine years responsible for preparing legal documents for national and international shipping, told the FBI in 1999 that Bush made around $800,000 from MWI. Her position with the company was eliminated in 1996.

“Needelman stated MWI gave Jeb Bush hundreds of thousands of dollars (she estimated $800,000) as an incentive for Bush to do public relations work in Nigeria and Egypt,” according to the FBI report of her 1999 interview.

In an interview with Naples Daily News-Treasure Coast newspapers, she said she could not remember all of the specifics surrounding Bush’s payments, but that it was “laughable” that he only made $648,000. During that interview, she said he made more than $1 million.

During his deposition in the whistleblower case, Ponce, the company’s former vice president and Carcamo’s boss, said “Bush-El was to earn 5 percent,” and he further explained the arrangement of 5 percent “of all these projects, which was going to be shared half and half between Jeb Bush” and MWI.

As Bush readies a 2016 run for the White House, he has begun stepping away from business obligations, including positions on company boards. In addition, his business record has come under greater scrutiny, including payments from InnoVida, a now bankrupt South Florida-based materials company.

In 2007, shortly after leaving the governor’s mansion, he signed a $15,000 consulting contract with InnoVida. In 2008, Bush became a board member and later inked agreements with a company subsidiary that would pay him up to 8 percent commissions for developing business in Mexico, South Africa, and Nigeria, according to court documents.

After the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the company received a $10 million federal loan to build housing on the devastated island nation. Ultimately, $3.3 million of the money was paid before federal officials grew suspicious that Claudio Osorio, the company’s chief executive, was mismanaging funds.

In 2012, Osorio and Craig Toll, the company’s chief financial officer, were charged with dozens of counts of fraud and money laundering. A year later, Osorio got a 12 year sentence and ordered to repay $24 million, while Toll got four years and was ordered to repay $3.3 million.

Bush cut ties with the company in 2010 when he began to suspect Osorio was mismanaging funds. When the company filed for bankruptcy, he repaid $270,000 of the $469,000 he made from the company, and returned his $15,000 consulting fee.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Comments

General News

Customs Ditches Fast Track Scheme for Authorised Economic Operator

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is transitioning to its Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, meant to ease trade processes, after over a decade under the Fast Track Scheme.

Customs Ditches Fast Track Scheme for Authorised Economic Operator

The service is racing to meet international best practices under the World Customs Organisation’s (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards, and contained in Sections 108 to 111 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

The programme, the Service said, is expected to reward “trusted traders” who meet specified “compliance, financial, and security criteria.”

Approved operators will benefit from “pre-arrival clearance, minimal inspection, expedited release, and possible mutual recognition with other customs administrations.”

“The scheme is also designed to build trust, ensure cargo integrity, and enhance the predictability and transparency of Nigeria’s import-export operations,” the Service said.

The current Fast Track Scheme, implemented by the Service in 2013 under a more limited eligibility model and was upgraded to an online-based model called Fast Track 2.0, introduced in 2023. The scheme will be officially decommissioned on 31 December 2025.

“All beneficiaries currently enrolled in the Fast Track Scheme are mandated to initiate their migration to the AEO Compliance Programme by submitting their applications through the dedicated portal,” Customs said, adding that only companies approved under the AEO Programme will continue to enjoy trade facilitation privileges previously accorded under the Fast Track scheme.

“AEOs may include manufacturers, importers, exporters, brokers, carriers, consolidators, intermediaries, ports, airports, terminal operators, integrated operators, warehouses, distributors and freight forwarders,” The Service wrote in a handbook.

It requires that an applicant for AEO certification must be an Economic Operator in the international supply chain.

It also added that “The applying entity must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), with a registration period of at least 5 years for AEO Security and Safety (AEO-S) and a minimum of 3 years for AEO Customs Simplification (AEO-C).”

The company must hold a valid Tax Clearance Certificate, with a minimum coverage of 5 years for AEO Security and Safety (c) and at least three years for AEO Customs Simplification (AEO-C).

The company must also provide an audited financial report for a minimum of five years for AEO Security and Safety (AEO-S) and at least three years for AEO Customs Simplification (AEO-C).

Relevant operational licences must also be provided alongside other relevant regulatory certifications (ISO certifications, SON, NAFDAC, etc.).

AEO-S applicants must also require ISO 28001–an international standard that defines the requirements of the Supply Chain Security Management System and provides a management model for organisations seeking to implement it.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

NOA Warns of Fake N1000 Notes in Circulation, How to Identify Them

Published

on

Kindly share this post

National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kwara has cautioned the public on fake N1000 notes circulating in the state.

NOA Warns of Fake N1000 Notes in Circulation, How to Identify Them

Alhaji Abdulganiyu Dare, state director of NOA, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ilorin.

Dare emphasised the need for vigilance among residents and business owners in the state.

According to him, there is confirmed intelligence reports of syndicates flooding the area with counterfeit currency with batch numbers 364232 and 898248.

Dare said the counterfeit notes can be identified by their blurred portraits, watermarks, and irregular security features.

He urged the public to be cautious when handling large sums of money.

“The syndicates behind this crime exploit peak commercial hours in major local markets to carry out transactions with counterfeit notes.

“They target unsuspecting POS operators and merchants by defrauding them of their hard-earned money.

“NOA Kwara Directorate is committed to sensitising the public on the dangers of fake currency and the importance of verifying the authenticity of banknotes.

“The agency is working tirelessly to ensure that residents of Kwara are protected from financial scams,” he said.

While describing the crime as unpatriotic and capable of distorting the Nigerian economy, Dare said NOA would work closely with security agencies to bring the culprits to book.

The director advised residents to report any suspicious transactions or individuals to the authorities immediately.

“Together, we can build a safer and more secure financial environment for all residents of Kwara.

“By working together, the NOA and the public can prevent the circulation of fake currency and protect the financial interests of Kwara residents,” he said.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

NCC, IHS Towers Lead Others To NITRA-ALTON CNII & Telecom Sustainability Conference 2025

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Telecom industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other industry operators, including IHS Towers, Digital Realty and 9mobile Nigeria, have joined the line of partners that will chart the way forward as stakeholders gather for the Maiden Edition of the CNII & Telecom Sustainability Conference 2025 being organized as a collaboration between media body, the Nigeria Information Technology Association (NITRA) and Industry advocacy group, the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).

Scheduled for August 7, 2025 in Lagos, the event, which is expected to host the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, will also bring stakeholders from Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Peace Corps Nigeria, to discuss the security of infrastructure, stakeholders’ roles, and the practical implementation of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order.

Headlining the event, with its theme as “Telecoms Industry Sustainability and the CNII Act – Way Forward”, IHS Towers will throw light on the state of infrastructure in the country, while the Panel Session will discuss the “Role expectations of stakeholders in the implementation of the CNII Act”

Keynote speeches will come from the NCC EVC, Dr. Aminu Maida and the President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

The Nigerian Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order, 2024, aims to safeguard critical infrastructure like telecommunications networks, financial systems, and power grids by designating them as CNII and outlining measures for their protection. This order, signed in June 2024, is an extension of the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 and seeks to reduce disruptions to these vital systems.

Some of the questions stakeholders will give answers to at the Panel Discussion include:

  • How do we ensure that this Order is implemented to the letter?
  • What are the roles of each stakeholder in the industry – Federal, States, Operators, Consumers, and other actors?
  • Are telecom companies keying into the CNII provisions, and how?
  • Are there areas worth looking into once more, or is the Order perfect as it is?
  • What is the role of regulators in ensuring public compliance to the Bill?
  • How do we ensure security?
  • What is the place of collaboration?
  • Publicity: how much of the CNII provisions are the public aware of?
  • How can we sustain the growth and development of telecommunications in Nigeria?

According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, this industry collaborative event will afford stakeholders in the public and private sectors the opportunity to sit back together and review how well the CNII Order has thus far been implemented, and to re-strategise, if need be, on the way forward.

“This event is key because it will bring Stakeholders to the CNII plan to a roundtable to re-evaluate the decision, make amends and continue the journey. This has to be a periodic gathering to make the goals of this order achievable,” he said.

ALTON is the official private sector industry body for all providers of telecommunications and subsidiary services in Nigeria.

The Chairman of ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo and the Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi will be on hand to welcome industry stakeholders.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending