TENSION is now mounting over the decision of the Federal Government to prosecute only three of the eight people who were indicted in the $180million Halliburton bribery scandal.

The decision of the government to prosecute only three of the indicted suspects is not being taken lightly as the three suspects had vowed to spill the beans if all of them were not prosecuted as this, according to them, amounted to selective justice.

Informed sources disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune that the government decided not to charge the main culprits in the scandal because of political influence.

Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered that even the principal suspect, who confessed before the panel to have received the sum of $25 million, and was ready for plea bargain, was not one of those to be prosecuted.

The source revealed that the major construction company, which passed the money to a one-time Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was all left off the hook.

It was also reliably gathered that two former heads of state were pressing President Goodluck Jonathan to mellow down and spare some of the suspects.

Meanwhile, the United States of America has vowed not to assist the Federal Government to retrieve the balance of the over $100 million left in a Swiss bank unless all those indicted by the panel that investigated the scandal were brought to justice.

It also made it clear that it will not support President Jonathan in his 2011 presidential bid if the prosecution of all those indicted was not taken seriously.