Abuja — The trial of the six persons and corporations indicted in the $180 million Halliburton bribery scandal took off on a shaky ground in Abuja yesterday as the Federal Government asked for more time to enable it to effect service of the charges on the accused persons.

When the court registrar called the case yesterday, a state counsel, Mrs. Omotunde Fatunde, asked the trial judge Justice David Okorowo, to grant her a short adjournment to enable government to serve the suspects with the charges.

Responding, Justice Okorowo said that he could not adjourn the case to any specific date but would rather return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, to re-assign the case to another judge.

As if they knew the trial would not go on, none of the suspects was in court.

Those indicted whose trial should have started yesterday are former Personal Assistant to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Adeyanju Bodunde, George Mark, Jeffrey Tesler (said to be at large), Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen; Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Bilfinger Berger GMBH.

THISDAY had reported that the trial would start yesterday.Government had last Friday filed two separate charges against some individuals and corporations for alleged money laundering and allied offences. One of the charges was filed at the Federal High Court while the other was filed at the Abuja High Court.

It appointed the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), to prosecute the suspects.

The case filed at the Federal High Court with suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/146/2010, has six suspects who allegedly made cash payments of about $5million to Bodunde.

Parts of the charges against the six suspects are:"That you, George Mark, Jeffrey Tesler (now at large), Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen; Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Bilfinger Berger GMBH, some time between 2002 and 2003 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to make several cash payments in the sum of US$1 million (five times) totalling in equivalent the sum of $5 million to one Adeyanju Bodunde and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16 of the Money Laundering Act 1995 (as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act 2004) and punishable under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Act 1995 (as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004).

"That you, George Mark, Hans George Christ, Heinrich J. Stockhausen, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Bilfinger Berger GMBH and Adeyanju Bodunde some time between 2002 and 2003 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit: failing to report several cash payments totaling in equivalent the sum of $5 million by one Jeffrey Tesler (now at large); thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16 and punishable under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Act 1995.

"That the six suspects some time between 2002 and 2003 did make several payments totalling in equivalent $5 million to one Adeyanju Bodunde and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 and 15(d) of the Money Laundering Act 1995 (as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act 2004) and punishable under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Money Laundering Act 1995 (as saved by Section 23(2) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004)."

Albert J. Stanley had already admitted before a Houston court in the US on September 4, 2008 that he channelled more than $180 million in bribe to senior government officials.Stanley alleged that the bribe was channelled through a UK-based lawyer, Mr. Jeffery Tesler, in four instalments of $60 million, $32.5 million, $51 million and $23 million.