Worldspace’s Samara back in Court

Chris Forrester

Worldspace’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy rumbles on, but its past president and new owner Noah Samara (Worldspace, once it emerges from Chapter 11, will be owned by a Singaporean company controlled by Mr Samara) is back in Court. This time, Samara is making headlines in the grubby trial of William Jefferson, alleged to have taken and solicited various bribes during his membership of the House of Representatives.

Jefferson was a member of the House from 1991 to Dec 2008, looking after Louisiana’s 2nd District. His offices were raided by the FBI back in May 2006, and he was subsequently indicted on 16 charges of corruption.

Step forward Worldspace boss Noah Samara, who last week told the criminal court that Worldspace signed a contract with the good Mr Jefferson’s wife, who was somehow or other going to help Worldspace get satellite transmission for the broadcaster in three African nations. Samara told the court that his friendship with Mr Jefferson sprang from their common political interests. Samara said that in 2001 Jefferson asked to borrow money from him. Although he said he had concerns about the legality, Samara said he loaned Jefferson $50,000 that was to be paid back in three years. He is still waiting for the cash to be paid back. The return for Samara was a deal to get him involved in an oil-field prospecting business in Equatorial Guinea.

Samara told the jury: “We joked about it because I knew nothing about the oil business.” He added he felt uncomfortable about the arrangement, a deal that never came to fruition, he said. Jefferson has proposed that one of his daughters do the legal work for the new company and have a financial stake in it, Samara said. “We talked a bit about my discomfort,” Samara said. “He thought I worried too much.”

Samara reportedly spent most of the 19th day of the trial testifying on the witness stand. He told jurors about an agreement that he signed in which Jefferson urged him to hire his wife, Andrea Jefferson, to push an educational curriculum in Africa. Samara’s company, Worldspace, created a system to use his satellite service for schools in Kenya. Jefferson, it was claimed, urged Samara into a new venture that would provide educational curriculum for schools in other African nations.

Andrea Jefferson is a vice president at Southern University in Baton Rouge and has not been charged with a crime. William Jefferson, the court was told, encouraged Samara to sign the contract pointing to his wife’s experience in education. His wife’s company, The ANJ Group, was to get 4% of Worldspace’s revenue.

“I wasn’t certain what Mrs. Jefferson would do,” Samara said. “I felt it would be Congressman Jefferson who would help us.” William Jefferson has pleaded innocent to 16 public corruption charges including bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and racketeering. Federal prosecutors say that he used his congressional office and influence to push American business deals in Africa in return for payments to himself and family members.

Jefferson contends that he was acting as a private businessman in the arrangements. Jefferson did not commit bribery because he never exchanged congressional services such as appropriating government money, introducing legislation or voting on it, his attorneys said.

Samara said that he thought Jefferson was representing himself and his ability to influence African leaders for the projects as a congressman.

“The meetings were set up because of his office,” Samara said. “Everybody called him congressman, as I did.”