BP worker takes 5th, making prosecution a possibility

[kpete]

Source: McClatchy



* Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2010
BP worker takes 5th, making prosecution a possibility



By Erika Bolstad, Joseph Goodman and Marisa Taylor | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — A top BP worker who was aboard the Deepwater Horizon in the hours leading up to the explosion declined to testify in front of a federal panel investigating the deadly oil rig blowout, telling the U.S Coast Guard he was invoking his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination.

The move Wednesday by BP's Robert Kaluza raises the possibility of criminal liability in the April 20 explosion that killed 11 and five weeks later continues to spew hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day.

Wednesday's government hearing in Louisiana, however, failed to determine why — despite unusual pressure and fluid readings on the rig — a BP official decided on the day of the explosion to proceed with removing heavy drilling fluid from the well and replacing it with lighter-weight seawater that was unable to prevent gas from surging to the surface and exploding.

Employees and experts testified that in the hours before the explosion, they witnessed a power struggle over that decision — the kind of argument common among the different parties that lease and run complicated offshore drilling operations, but one that this time, had deadly consequences.




Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/26/94884/bp-could-be-held-criminally-liable.html#ixzz0p6Epr3dH

[jgraz]

1. Somebody better fuckin go to JAIL over this mess.

I hope one of them is that POS Hayward.

[metapunditedgy]

2. Not just one fall guy. *Multiple* execs. And family fortunes should be lost

paying for damages.

If there's no justice, nothing will change.

[jgraz]

4. Agree one million percent.

[Kringle]

6. Umm, BP holds the lease, not these chumps .nt

[Downwinder]

7. Get the "person" not the chump.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[aquart]

16. Hayward will skate, Kaluza will do time.

I really dislike BP.

[Angry Dragon]

3. We all should incorporate so we can not be held

liable for anything we do..........

[Jamastiene]

12. That is a good idea.

Actually, you may be onto something.

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

- Damn right somebody better go to jail.....

[JoeyT]

9. So let's see if we can guess what'll happen.

A few people that are really low on the totem pole are going to be prosecuted and dragged out in front of the masses to pacify them and show that "justice" was done. In the meantime no one that was actually directly responsible for all the shitty decisions that led to this point will face a single charge. All the people that were directly harmed by the spill will have their livelihoods ruined with no compensation. The cleanup will be halfassed and the Gulf will still be screwed.

You know, just like the wars and the financial meltdown.

Edited to add: Still reccing. I hope I'm wrong.

[shirlden]

17. The 11 dead guys caused the "accident"

That will be the BP legal defense.




:dilemma:

[Scuba]

10. Only one person will be found guilty and serve time...

....Lindsey English

[salguine]

11. I don't care what one worker says...they could have signed orders from BP to remove all

safety precautions, sworn statements from BP that they knew it was unsafe, and video of BP executives actually setting fire to the rig, and every0ne will still walk away not only scot-free, but probably with a huge multi-billion-dollar giveaway for all the pain and suffering that this has caused BP. If anyone gets punished for this, it will be one—and ONLY one—sacrificial lamb thrown to the wolves as a scapegoat.

[Jamastiene]

13. Yup, just as we've seen numerous times before.

That is all that EVER happens. I don't see them actually punishing BP over this. It'll be some lowly worker.

[Hubert Flottz]

14. Now, Now, let's not start "Looking Back"

Time to look ahead...

[rucky]

15. haha

I'm going to use that one to fight my speeding ticket.

[Hubert Flottz]

18. I'll bet the bank robbers use that all the time now...

The bank managers have become the bank robbers today...

[gateley]

19. Wasn't Prescott Bush charged with Trading With The Enemy? If they went after

him (I think it was a civil charge) why won't they go after the honchos at BP, Haliburton, etc? I think Obama is pissed enough to do it.