Biggest Corruption Case of War Underway
Army Major Accused of $15 Million in Contractor Bribes for Reconstruction
Posted 6 hr. 19 min. ago
iraqslogger.com
A bribery case unfolding in San Antonio represents largest exposed incident of graft related to Iraq's reconstruction, and may turn out to be the biggest bribery scandal in US military history. The ongoing investigation could also lead to charges against military officers other than the one currently implicated.
Army Maj. John L. Cockerham, a contract procurement officer stationed at Fort Sam Houston, stands accused taking $9.6 million in bribes and was to receive another $5.4 million for steering lucrative deals to contractors during 2004-2005 while he was stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
"This is the largest bribery case that's come out of the Iraq reconstruction experience," Stuart W. Bowen Jr., special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, told the San Antonio Express-News in an interview Wednesday.
Cockerham's wife and sister also stand accused of helping launder the money, and the Express-News reports sources who said higher ranking officers may be implicated in the case. Bowen declined to add anything to that report, saying "That's where I can't talk.... This is an ongoing investigation.... The rest of the story will be told over time as the investigation unfolds."
It was unclear how the government learned about the bribes to Cockerham, but various sources told the Express-News that the case is one in a pattern of contract-rigging and bribery cases at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, involving multiple members of the military, including some who died under mysterious circumstances as investigators closed in.
The Cockerham's were arrested Monday and his sister, Carolyn Blake, on Wednesday. All have pleaded not guilty.
Following the Cockerham's hearing on Monday, as he and his wife were being led out for transport to jail, John turned to the assembled media, asking that the ACLU be notified, and seeming to imply a government conspiracy was behind his arrest.
"We're suffering injustice in the name of justice," Cockerham shouted. "I guess we can thank the Department of Justice for this." |
