Nigerians mentioned in the Siemens 10 million Euro bribe scandal which rocked the nation, last year, will soon face interrogation and possible prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Sunday Independent confirmed on Friday that the anti-graft commission has re-opened investigations into the issue and would soon invite all those involved to answer questions.

Last December, the EFCC, under its pioneer chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, took over the case from the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), but nothing was heard of the matter afterwards.

There were speculations later that President Umaru Yar'Adua was bent on protecting some powerful people named in the scandal and had directed that the case be transferred to those who would do what he wants.

Various top ranking Nigerians, including former ministers of communications and notable politicians were alleged to have demanded and collected huge sums from the company before facilitating award of contracts.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to unravel the bribe scandal.

All the payments were allegedly made in euros. Most of those mentioned in the scam were rankled by newspaper reports and had proceeded to deny involvement.

Until now, they must have thought the matter had been swept under the carpet.

The President had on Tuesday, December 27, 2007, through his former chief of staff, Mohammed Abdullahi, demanded that the case file hitherto controlled by the ICPC be handed over to the then chairman of EFCC.

Thereafter, EFCC was said to have only questioned Cornelius Adebayo, a former Communications Minister and ex-governor who was among those mentioned in the scandal.

Although details of Adebayo's statement were not made available to Sunday Independent, sources said "the case was ordered closed by the former EFCC boss after that interview while others also mentioned were left unattended to."

Among those alleged to have been bribed but who have denied the allegations are Senator Jubril Aminu; Tajudeen Olanrewaju, David Oyegun, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Ahmed Datti, formerly of Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL).

But sources said on Friday that the new leadership of the EFCC is ready to execute the investigation to conclusion and that those found to have been involved would be prosecuted immediately.

EFCC head of media and publicity, EFCC, Femi Babafemi, confirmed that the case has been re-opened and that since the contract dates back a long time, there were a lot of documents to examine.

Babafemi noted that the culture of documentation in Nigeria is relatively poor and for that reason, some of the documents on the case were not readily available.

He said, "some of the documents have actually disappeared" since the investigation commenced last year and was later suspended.

The EFCC spokesman said because the scandal and the contracts involved had international links operatives of the EFCC would travel to Germany to also look at files at that end.

Gratification by Siemens AG was said to have been given between 2002 and 2003 when most of those mentioned left offices either as ministers or bureaucrats.

Siemens was last year quoted as admitting in a court in Germany that it actually bribed Nigerian officials in spite of great efforts at denial by those mentioned in the scam.

Thereafter, the Federal Government, at a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, revoked a huge contract hitherto awarded to Siemens.

Government also barred the company from getting any fresh contracts in Nigeria until the bribe scandal is resolved.

Siemens International had in November 2007 made effort to meet with Yar'Adua to explain its situation to him and seek forgiveness to continue business in Nigeria. The firm had written a letter to the president on November 21, 2007 through one Rudi Lamprecht, a member of the Siemens Management Board.

Siemens which has been operating in Nigeria since the 1950s, had its last contract before 1999- the 250,000 fixed lines Lagos job awarded by NITEL before it was privatised.