Justice Department Subpoenas ChevronTexaco in Bribery Investigation

[Judi Lynn]

Justice Department Subpoenas ChevronTexaco in Bribery Investigation
By Brad Foss The Associated Press
Published: Sep 12, 2003



ChevronTexaco Corp. confirmed that it has been subpoenaed as part of a Justice Department investigation into allegations of bribery in Kazakhstan's oil industry.

The nation's second-largest oil company said Thursday it received a request for documents on May 7, has been cooperating with the government ever since and "has no reason to believe" that it is a target of any investigation.

The Justice Department has been looking into payments made by a New York businessman on behalf of U.S. oil companies to senior government officials of Kazakhstan, which has vast oil and natural gas reserves.

James H. Giffen, a New York banker, was indicted March 31 in New York on charges that he made more than $78 million in unlawful payments to two senior Kazakh officials to win deals for Western oil companies. (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA827CQHKD.html

[PartyPooper]

1. This smells 'fishy' to me.

Does anyone else get a 'whiff' of impropriety?