REUTERS

Court rejects Nigeria’s compensation request against Eni, Shell

By Alfredo Faieta and Francesca Landini: November 11, 2022

MILAN, Nov 11 (Reuters) – An appeals court in Milan on Friday rejected Nigeria’s $1.092 billion compensation request against Italian energy group Eni SpA (ENI.MI) and Shell Plc (SHEL.L) in civil proceedings relating to a $1.3 billion oilfield deal.

The decision was read out in court.

In July prosecutors had dropped related criminal proceedings, clearing Eni and Shell, as well as managers including Eni Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi, in one of the oil industry’s biggest alleged corruption cases. read more

Another departing Shell leader seeking redemption?

By John Donovan

Departing Shell Plc CEO Ben van Beurden seems to be seeking redemption in his closing period with the energy giant.

THE GRONINGEN SCANDAL

BvB now admits that Shell should have pulled out of the controversial earthquake-blighted Groningen project operated by NAM – a Shell-Exxon joint venture company.

According to Reuters: “A damning report in 2015 from the independent Dutch Safety Board had accused the government and the field’s operators of ignoring the threat of earthquakes linked to the field for years.” 

As regular visitors to this website know, we have been drawing attention to the Groningen scandal for many years. Thousands of properties have been damaged. As a consequence, Dutch prosecutors are pursuing litigation against NAM. Tens of thousands of Groningen residents are eligible for compensation for earthquake damage. read more

REUTERS

JPMorgan wins London oil trial in which Nigeria sought $1.7 bln

By Sinead Cruise and Estelle Shirbon: June 14, 2022

LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) has won a London High Court battle against Nigeria, which was seeking $1.7 billion in damages over the U.S. bank’s role in a disputed 2011 oilfield deal.

JPMorgan said the judgment reflected its commitment to acting with high professional standards everywhere it operates, while Nigeria said it was disappointed and would review the judgment carefully before considering its next steps. read more

The Telegraph

JP Morgan accused of negligence over corrupt $1.3bn Nigerian oil deal

By Mark Hollingsworth: 20 February 2022 

The case revolves around $876m of missing money from an oil field sale in 2011

JP Morgan negligently allowed corrupt Nigerian officials to siphon off more than three quarters of a $1.3bn oil investment to a former oil minister’s company and assorted middlemen, the High Court will hear this week.

The world’s largest bank is being sued by the Nigerian state for allegedly allowing corrupt former state officials to extract $875m between 2011 and 2013 from a government account opened with JP Morgan in London. read more

Royal Dutch Shell: How Nigeria’s Ex-Attorney General Bayo Ojo Received $10 Million From Malabu Largesse

10/05/2021 | 03:07am EDT

Christopher Bayo Ojo, who between June 2005 and May 2007 was Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, received $10.026 million the infamous Malabu OPL 245 share-outs, a payment investigators said was a “bribe” for his earlier controversial decision to reassign the lucrative oil block to Dan Etete, Nigeria’s former petroleum minister. read more

Royal Dutch Shell: How Nigeria’s Ex-Attorney General Bayo Ojo Received $10 Million From Malabu Largesse

Extracts from an article published by Premium Times on 5 October 2021

Christopher Bayo Ojo, who between June 2005 and May 2007 was Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, received $10.026 million from the infamous Malabu OPL 245 share-outs, a payment investigators said was a “bribe” for his earlier controversial decision to reassign the lucrative oil block to Dan Etete, Nigeria’s former petroleum minister. read more

REVEALED: How Embattled Ex-Attorney General, Adoke Sought To Transfer Over $1billion From Nigerian Government Account After Leaving Office

BY SAHARA REPORTERS,

NEW YORK SEP 28, 2021

An internal email exchange between anti-money laundering officers at JP Morgan Chase (JPMC) bank records that a former Nigerian Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke sought to transfer over $1 billion from government account, after he had left office.

 The information showed that “Mr Adoke”, described in the email as “the former Nigerian Minister of Justice and Attorney General”, sought to transfer $1,092,015,000 from a Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) account, held with the London branch of JPMC, even though he was not a Minister at the time, an Italian newspaper, IRPIMEDIA reports. read more

REUTERS

Acquittal of Eni and Shell in Nigeria case faces legal challenge

MILAN, July 29 (Reuters) – Italian prosecutors and the Nigerian government have appealed the acquittal of Eni (ENI.MI) and Shell (RDSa.L), as well as a series of past and present managers, in a Nigerian corruption case, according to a document seen by Reuters.

REUTERS

Italian court acquits two in Nigeria oil graft case

BY REUTERS STAFF: JUNE 24, 2021

MILAN (Reuters) – An Italian appeals court on Thursday overturned jail sentences handed down to Nigerian Emeka Obi and Italian Gianluca Di Nardo for their part in a graft case involving Eni and Shell in Nigeria.

In a decision taken behind closed doors but read out to reporters afterwards, the three judges quashed the convictions and said there was no case to answer.

The prosecution itself had asked for the sentences to be overturned after a court in March acquitted the two energy groups in a long-running case revolving around the acquisition of a Nigerian oilfield for about $1.3 billion. read more

PREMIUM Times

Nigeria: Malabu Scandal – OPL 245 Licence Expires

By Oladeinde Olawoyin: 26 MAY 2021

The expiry of the licence returns control of the oil field to the Nigerian government.

The licence for the controversial Nigerian offshore OPL 245 oil block has expired, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

According to civil society campaigners Global Witness, Eni confirmed the development in response to questions at their 2021 annual general meeting.

The organisation added on Wednesday that the expiry of the licence returns control of the oil field to the Nigerian government. read more

Judge calls for more JP Morgan disclosure in OPL 245 case

JP Morgan must provide more documents to Nigeria, as the two sides duke it out over payments in connection to the OPL 245 scandal.

Justice Calver handed down a judgement this morning, following a hearing that took place on May 5.

Nigeria welcomed the ruling. A representative said JP Morgan had been required “to disclose documents from 5 further senior executives and compliance officers at the bank who were involved in signing off on US$875 million of fraudulent payments in connection with the OPL 245 scandal and in US compliance investigations carried out shortly before the bank decided to pay out anyway”.

The bank should give a “clear and unambiguous account of exactly how the decisions to make these huge payments were made when it was on notice that to pay out risked its customer, Nigeria, being defrauded,” the representative continued.

“Justice will be sought for the people of Nigeria, who will be pleased the trial will begin early next year.”

Calver’s ruling set out a number of searches JP Morgan must carry out. Among those named to comply with the order are Pamela Johnson, Lester Pataki and John Gibbons, high-ranking executives at the bank. read more

JPMorgan Memo Warned $875 Million Nigeria Payment Was Graft Risk

By Jonathan Browning: 7 May 2021, 08:00 BST Updated on 7 May 2021, 08:29 BST

European and Nigerian courts have been raking over the purchase by Eni SpA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc of the oil license in Africa’s largest crude producer a decade ago. While the energy giants were recently acquitted of corruption charges in Milan in a decision prosecutors could appeal, Nigeria’s government is continuing to seek compensation from JPMorgan. read more

Ensure Shell, Eni Face Prosecution In Nigeria, Group Tells Buhari

Eni and Shell have been dragged to court in Milan, Italy over alleged cases of corruption in relation to the OPL245.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK APR 12, 2021

An anti-corruption group, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the oil giants, Shell and Eni, face prosecution in Nigeria.

The group, in a letter addressed to Buhari, advised the President to ignore public statements by the oil company, Eni, that the trial the company had faced in Italy should substitute for any other possible legal action in Nigeria. read more

OPL 245: Eni, Shell must face corruption charges in Nigeria, CSOs tell FG 

A coalition of civil society organisations has urged the federal government to press corruption charges against Eni, Shell, and other defendants involved in the OPL 245 deal.

This comes after an Italian court acquitted Shell, Eni and other defendants of corruption charges in the OPL 245 deal.

In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the CSOs said there would be no risk of double jeopardy due to the differences between legal systems in Italy and Nigeria. read more

“Two middlemen have already been found guilty for their role in this deal in a separate trial. A criminal trial of Shell and Eni’s Nigerian subsidiaries is ongoing in Nigeria while they also face an investigation in The Netherlands where Shell has said they expect to face criminal charges. Today’s verdict does not mark the final word in this scandal for Shell and Eni.”

Shell and Eni verdict: Not the final word on this scandal

NGOs and activists are today disappointed and outraged as Shell and Eni – two of the worlds biggest polluters – were found not guilty of corruption relating to the purchase of a Nigerian oilfield, in a Milan trial. Global Witness urges the prosecution to consider all options to appeal this verdict and continues to follow ongoing criminal investigations into the case in Nigeria and the Netherlands. read more

All Eyes on Nigerian Economic and Financial Crime Commission After Italian Court Decided OPL 245

March 22, 2021

The acquittal of Eni, Royal Dutch Shell and their officials in the Malabu Oil and Gas deal by an Italian Court last Thursday has thrown up fresh call on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission on the need to have a rethink on its ongoing prosecution here in Nigeria. Davidson Iriekpen writes

After more than three years and a total of 74 hearings, an Italian court sitting in Milan last Thursday acquitted energy companies, Eni and Royal Dutch Shell along with a series of past and present managers, including Eni Chief Executive, Claudio Descalzi in one of the oil industry’s biggest corruption scandals. read more