Businessman cites bribe to Jefferson

• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington bureau
• Published: Jun 25, 2009 - Page: 5A

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WASHINGTON — A Nigerian telecommunications company owner said Wednesday that he agreed to pay up to $10 million in what he considered a bribe to former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson.

Dumebi Kachikwu told the jury in Jefferson’s public corruption trial that he operated a company called Netlink Digital Television or NDTV. The company was similar to Direct TV in the United States, he said.

As part of a partnership agreement that Jefferson negotiated with NDTV on behalf of a Kentucky technology firm, up to 2 million television converter boxes were to be purchased for installation in Nigeria. In a side deal to the agreement, Jefferson asked Kachikwu to pay him $5 per box.

“The red flag went up,” Kachikwu said. “I knew what he wanted was a bribe.”

In return for the money, Kachikwu said Jefferson agreed to use his congressional clout to cut through any roadblocks from U.S. government agencies, such as the State Department. In addition, Jefferson promised to aid the Nigerian company in getting financing through the Export-Import Bank of the United States, which provides low interest loans to companies using American products, Kachikwu said.

The converter box payment never came about because the partnership deal fell through. But Kachikwu said he and his partners felt they had to meet Jefferson’s request.

“We essentially had no choice,” he said. “I believe the deal would be dead on arrival.”

Kachikwu also told the jury that Jefferson recommended the NDTV officials pay an Ex-Im Bank employee a “facilitation fee” for their project. Kachikwu said he and his partners paid $100,000 to Maureen Scurry, also known as Maureen Edu, who facilitated the bank’s activity in Africa.

“I understood that it was illegal and it was wrong,” Kachikwu said.

Scurry, no longer with the bank, was indicted in February for accepting the payment and was charged with four counts of public corruption including bribery and fraud. Scurry’s attorney, Kerry Brainard Verdi, declined Wednesday to comment on the matter.

Jefferson has pleaded innocent to 16 charges including bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and racketeering. Government prosecutors allege that Jefferson traded his influence as a congressman to push business projects in Africa in return for payments to himself and family members.

Jefferson’s attorneys contend he was acting as a private businessman. They said Jefferson never committed “official acts” for the projects such as appropriating money, voting or introducing legislation.

At a business summit in Africa, Jefferson met Kachikwu, who told the New Orleans Democrat about his need for telecommunications equipment to further his company. Jefferson suggested the company link with iGate, a Kentucky business that Jefferson was promoting.