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Thursday, December 21, 2017
Shell and ENI have been ordered to stand trial over alleged corruption in Nigeria. A judge in Milan ruled on December 20 that the two companies, along with a series of present and past executives would have to face a trial which is expected to start in early-March.
The case involves the 2011 purchase by ENI and Shell of Nigeria’s OPL-245 offshore oilfield – one of Africa’s most valuable oil blocks – for about $1.3 billion. According to prosecutors, bribes were paid to win the license to explore the field which has never entered into production.
Besides the two companies, ENI’s CEO Claudio Descalzi and former Shell Foundation Chairman Malcolm Brinded will be put on trial along with 11 other people.
Shell issued a statement in response to the decision by the judge which read: “We are disappointed by the outcome of the preliminary hearing and the decision to indict Shell and its former employees. We believe the trial judges will conclude that there is no case against Shell or its former employees.
“Shell attaches the greatest importance to business integrity. It’s one of our core values and is a central tenet of the Business Principles that govern the way we do business. Shell has clear rules on anti-bribery and corruption and these are included in our Code of Conduct for all staff. There is no place for bribery or corruption in our company.”
For its part, ENI reiterated the company and its CEO had done nothing wrong, adding the board fully backed Descalzi who at the time of the deal was head of exploration and production.
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