Watch Local contractors implicated in Iraq kickbacks Online

TONIGHT. THE TWO TOP MEN AT A LOCAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY — THAT’S GETTING HUGE CONTRACTS FROM THE MILITARY TO REBUILD IRAQ -- ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FEDS. THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY ARE ACCUSED OF RIPPING OFF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN A KICKBACK SCHEME. ERIC KAHNERT UNCOVERED THIS INVESTIGATION -- AND CONFRONTED ONE OF THE MEN TODAY -- ERIC. LAGUNA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IS OWNED BY THE PUEBLO -- BUT RUN BY TWO MEN IN THE ALBUQUERQUE AREA.. THE COMPANY AND PUEBLO ARE NOT IN ANY TROUBLE. BUT IN THIS FEDERAL SEARCH WARRANT THE PRESIDENT AND V-P ARE ACCUSED OF HIRING SUB- CONTRACTORS IN EXCHANGE FOR HUGE KICKBACKS. THIS IS WHAT THE IRAQ MINISTRY OF DEFENSE LOOKED LIKE AFTER THE U-S INVADED THE COUNTRY. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. THE COMPANY THAT HELPED RE- BUILD IT, LAGUNA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, IS OWNED BY THE PUEBLO -- AND HAS OFFICES IN ALBUQUERQUE. L-C-C IS ONE OF THE LARGEST U-S CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ -- WITH RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS WORTH MORE THAN 300 MILLION DOLLARS SINCE 2004. THE PRESIDENT, NEAL KASPER, AND THE VICE-PRESIDENT, BRADLEY CHRISTIANSEN ARE THE TARGET OF A FEDERAL SEARCH WARRANT. ALTHOUGH NEITHER MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED, THE WARRANT ALLEGES THE TWO MEN RAN AN ELABORATE KICKBACK SCHEME. IT SAYS '... Christiansen and Kasper, were falsifying and changing bids in order to control the award of subcontracts.' FORMER EMPLOYEES TELL INVESTIGATORS THOSE SUBCONTRACTORS '...gave kickbacks to Christiansen by depositing money into Christiansen's bank account located in Amman, Jordan...' INVESTIGATORS SAY THAT ACCOUNT WAS RECEIVING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DEPOSITS FROM THE SUB-CONTRACTORS KASPER AND CHRISTIANSEN HIRED. ATTORNEY JOE DIAZ REPRESENTS LAGUNA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. 24:41 'what they did they they did to benefit personally themselves, the company did not gain by their actions the company did not authorize their actions.- 7'AFTER THE AL...