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John Copleston

Shell and Eni face one of the biggest corruption cases in corporate history over $1.3bn Nigerian oil field

Time running out for prosecutors to obtain potentially crucial documents seized in Geneva apartment raid

Ben Chapman: @b_c_chapman

Giant oil companies, offshore accounts, ex-MI6 agents, champagne lunches, a former Nigerian president and allegations of one of the biggest bribes ever paid – the corruption case against Shell and Italy’s Eni filed by prosecutors in Milan over a shady $1.3bn deal for a vast African oil field has could have been lifted from the pages of an espionage thriller.

The latest developments thicken the plot further with a cache of documents seized in a raid on a Swiss financier’s apartment that could be crucial to the case, leaving prosecutors in a race against time to get them to Milan as trial hearings get underway this week.

The Geneva raid uncovered a briefcase belonging to Emeka Obi, a middleman who received millions of dollars from the deal and is in the dock along with several senior Shell and Eni executives.

Inside the briefcase, Swiss prosecutors found a laptop, two Nigerian passports, five sim cards and a hard drive containing 41,000 documents that prosecutors believe could be crucial to the trial playing out on the other side of the Alps. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Leaked Emails Reveal Shell’s Lies In 2012 About OPL 245

In evidence to the Committee, Shell stated that neither Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) nor Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) “is or was at any point in the past involved in OPL 245”. But a cache of leaked internal Shell emails tells a very different story. Far from being “uninvolved”, RDS — the London-registered company at the pinnacle of the Shell group — appears to have the controlling mind behind the important decisions relating to Shell’s involvement in OPL 245.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK, SEP 11, 2018

Anti-corruption groups are calling for an urgent inquiry into what would appear to be highly misleading statements made by Shell in evidence to an investigation by the 2012 Ad Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives into the corrupt OPL 245 oil bloc deal.

In evidence to the Committee, Shell stated that that neither Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) nor Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) “is or was at any point in the past involved in OPL 245”.

But a cache of leaked internal Shell emails tells a very different story. Far from being “uninvolved”, RDS — the London-registered company at the pinnacle of the Shell group — appears to have the controlling mind behind the important decisions relating to Shell’s involvement in OPL 245. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

OPL 245: Shell, ENI and Nigerian Ongoing Corruption?

The general thrust seems to be that a current OPL 245 contract tender has been rigged for corrupt purposes benefitting Shell, ENI and certain Nigerian parties. Shell has past expertise in such matters

By John Donovan

More information has arrived as a follow up to the information we published recently in the article “More OPL 245 corruption, continues into 2018?

OPL 245 is the notorious Nigerian oil deal involving the fraudster Dan Etete and more recently, his equally charming nephew, Ken Etete.

From what I know thus far, the leaked documents I am receiving now on an almost daily basis are authentic and were not previously known to OPL 245 investigators. I now have multiple insider anonymous contributors whose identity is known only to me. Frankly, I don’t know what it all means, but the information is apparently valuable to OPL 245 investigators who are trying to unravel what is going on. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

More OPL 245 corruption, continues into 2018?

By John Donovan

A high level insider source is alleging current major corruption in the continuing OPL 245 Zabazaba Shell/Eni JV project.

The source has supplied documents/emails from 2014 to 2018 containing references to  various parties, including Shell and Eni, relating to OPL 245. Links to the relevant leaked information/evidence are published below. 

It may assist investigators from anti-corruption organisations (such as Global Witness and Finance Uncovered) more familiar with the overall situation, who are trying to put all of the pieces together in a web of continuing financial machination and complexity.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell vs Peter Robinson

Posting by Bill Campbell, retired Shell HSE Group Auditor, on the article “Shell are in trouble. Deep trouble”  

RDS vs. Peter Robinson Esq as trouble looms

At the time I found it inexplicable that Shell launched it’s vitriolic attack against its ex employee and obedient servant Peter Robinson. With only weeks to go before the Trial in Italy WHY on earth would Shell undermine its own case at the upcoming trial by suggesting that Robinson was other than an upstanding member of society?

Well, it now appears kinda obvious, Mr Robinson it seems had gone outside the tent and has started urinating in, assisting the prosecution perhaps, if so deep trouble clearly looms. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Latest on OPL 245 and OML 30 Nigerian oil deals involving Guy Colegate

UPDATE 6 JUNE 2018: Overnight developments:

POSTING BY JOHN DONOVAN ON SHELL BLOG

After putting “A Mole” in direct contact with one of the key investigative organisations in relation to the OPL 245 corruption scandal, this anonymous source has now supplied them with more information relating to the OML 30 Nigerian oil deal involving Shell/Heritage Oil and Guy Colegate. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

A MESSAGE TO THE STREET FIGHTER, PETER ROBINSON

Frankly, I don’t give a f*** about Shell’s lawyers. I already have Shell internal communications stating that Shell will never sue me because I have too much “internal laundry” on the unscrupulous oil giant.

A MESSAGE TO THE STREET FIGHTER, PETER ROBINSON: FROM JOHN DONOVAN

Hello Peter

You may have seen the Shell Blog post from HAN SOLO that I have published as an article: “Shell are in trouble. Deep trouble”.

The author quotes the wise saying: ‘keep your friends close, keep your enemies even closer’? There is another equally ancient proverb that may also apply: ‘My Enemy’s Enemy is My Friend’.

I know what its like to be betrayed and become the subject of sinister activity by Shell and its army of spooks and ruthless, unprincipled lawyers. You are probably beseiged by such activity at the moment. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Heritage Oil trail of Shell’s MI6 hire, Guy Colegate

By John Donovan

Shell is the common factor in three multi-million dollar Nigerian oil deals now attracting attention. Namely, the notorious OPL 245 (involving ENI), OML 42 (which Shell sold to Neconde) and OML 30 (which Heritage Oil purchased from Shell). 

Shell’s MI6 hire, Guy Colegate, was in turn recruited by Heritage Oil because of his involvement in OPL 245, no doubt aware of his exotic pedigree. In an article reporting that he had joined Heritage, Colegate was described as “Shell’s super negotiator“. Colegate is currently a defendant in the OPL 245 criminal case subsequently brought against him in the Italian courts.

He was one of Shell’s MI6 “people” mentioned by Shell CEO Ben van Beurden in his wiretapped telephone discussion with then Shell CFO Simon Henry, whose sudden departure and controversial payoff was itself the subject of media coverage. The wiretapped discussion took place during a police raid at Shell HQ in the Hague. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Malabu Oil Deal: Two British Secret Service Agents Docked As Trial Begins In Milan

Shell and Italian oil giant, Eni, are also defendants in the charge of ‘Aggravated international corruption,’ leveled against the oil executives in the trial which began in Milan, Italy on Monday.

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK: MAY 11, 2018

Two retired secret agents of British Mi6 identified as Collegate Guy Jonathan and John Coplestone De Carteret, are among the executives of Royal Dutch Shell under prosecution in the ongoing trial of bribery allegation in the purchase of lucrative Nigerian Malabu oil block.

Shell and Italian oil giant, Eni, are also defendants in the charge of ‘Aggravated international corruption,’ leveled against the oil executives in the trial which began in Milan, Italy on Monday. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell spying and surveillance operations

Guardian Newspaper article 5 November 2015

Extracts from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

The extract below makes a reference to “Mr Hoots”, an American associated with the U.S. Intelligence community who became involved in the Shell/Donovan litigation, while falsely claiming to be on a journalistic assignment on behalf of Business Week magazine. It seemed obvious from his extensive activities on the case that an unknown party with very deep pockets was funding his false flag mission.

Extracts from pages 108 & 109

Mr. Hoots came to the UK specifically to gather information about my case against Shell and incurred substantial costs. He never approached Shell to find out their side of the story, only my solicitor, my witnesses and me. He never published an article. He used false pretences when speaking to all of us and gained access to an array of documents. I later found out that his modus operandi was entirely in keeping with the common method of operation by undercover agents engaged in corporate espionage. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s retired spy chief Ian Forbes McCredie CMG OBE

Extract from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT SHELL’S EPIC 25 YEAR FEUD WITH JOHN DONOVAN – which puts the extracts below in overall context.)
The extract below should be read in the context of the fact that we were besieged by undercover activity during the run-up to the SMART High Court Trial – the climax of our litigation alleging that Shell had stolen Intellectual Property from our company Don Marketing. Shell brought a Counterclaim amid a barrage of aggressive threats and sinister activity directed against us. Shell did not disclose its close connection with a private spy firm Hakluyt & Company populated by former senior MI6 officers (such as Ian Forbes McCredie and other retired or freelance spooks). As Shell CEO Ben van Beurden mentioned in an illuminating wire-tapped telephone conversation with then CFO Simon Henry, Shell hired such MI6 people including Guy Colegate and John Copleston to negotiate with Dan Etete in the corrupt OPL 245 Nigerian oil deal. Both “people” are now defendants in a criminal action brought in Italy.

Extracts below from pages 108

IAN FORBES MCCREDIE CMG OBE

A former senior British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) officer, Ian Forbes McCredie was, until December 2010, Vice President of Corporate Security for Royal Dutch Shell aka Shell Corporate Affairs Security (CAS).

Mr. McCredie is closely associated with Hakluyt. When I sent an email to him at Shell, I received a response from his Hakluyt email address.

His spook duties at Shell were listed in his CV published online (as of October 2015). See center box.

A retired senior FBI official, Richard T. Garcia, was Global Security Manager for Shell Americas. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Hakluyt & Company and the Clinton/Trump scandals

Hakluyt & Company and the Clinton/Trump scandals

By John Donovan

Regular visitors to this website will be aware of my frequent references to the sinister London based spy firm Hakluyt & Co and its close connection with its ethically challenged client of more than two decades, Royal Dutch Shell.

Our own dealings with Hakluyt in relation to Shell undercover activity against us was so extraordinary that nothing about Hakluyt and its connections and activities would surprise us any more. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

OPL 245 corruption scandal coming to the boil again

On Friday 2 March, Reuters reported that the criminal trial in Italy against Royal Dutch Shell and Eni executives in relation to the OPL 245 oil deal due to start Monday, 5th March, has been transferred to another court in Milan, thereby delaying the proceedings.

Yesterday, 4 March, the UK Guardian newspaper published an article Oil deal corruption trial in Italy is ‘wake-up call for industry‘ indicating the trial is still commencing on Monday 5 March. It says that Shell’s Malcolm Brinded is due in court. It also mentions the involvement of Shell executive John Copleston, one of the former MI6 employees hired by Shell. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

CRUDE INTENTION – AN INSIDERS EXPLOSIVE REVELATIONS IN A BOOK THAT MAY SHAKE SHELL

SCREENSHOT FROM A RELATED VIDEO CLIP

Of particular concern to Shell, the author provides first-hand insight into Shell’s security and intelligence activities in Nigeria, Iraq, Iran, Ireland and other global hot spots and details how Shell worked with US, UK and Dutch Intelligence and military agencies to further their mutual agendas.  The author also discusses Shell’s secret communications with MEND militants in Nigeria through intermediaries. 

By John Donovan 

I suspect that Shell in particular, should be very concerned about a book in the pipeline called “CRUDE INTENTION”. I say this because the author is a former senior manager of Shell Global Security. 

Unlike the MI6 “people” hired by Shell including Guy Colegate, John Copleston and Ian Forbes McCredie, and the FBI officials recruited for their government connections like former FBI Deputy Director Richard Garcia, the author is a career security & business professional in the oil & gas industry whose own principles and ethics often conflicted those of his spymaster bosses and coworkers; including the monitoring of our activities as part of a Shell global surveillance operation.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

OPL 245: Shell Den Haag HQ was raided by 60 investigators

Snippets from an article originally published by Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland on 9 November 2017. Translated from Dutch to English by Iefke Prins.

Clearly, Shell has played a crucial role in criminal activities; ‘the most important decisions were made at the headquarters in Den Haag’; Top management at Shell looked the other way and did not want any contact with Etete’; In the early morning of 17 February 2016, thirty tax authority investigators together with thirty Italian colleagues raided the Shell headquarters at the request of the Italian prosecutor. In the directors’ offices, 1800 pages of documents and e-mails were seized.; According to the e-mails, Shell was very much aware that Etete was corrupt.; On the day of the raid on Shell’s offices, the company’s CEO Ben van Beurden’s phone was wiretapped by Dutch police. In a leaked conversation with CFO Simon Henry, he mentioned ‘unhelpful e-mails’ from Copleston, who speculated ‘who would get paid what’. Van Beurden chalked up the conversations as ‘pub talk’, which he called ‘foolish’. He also decided that it would be better if the raid would not be reported to shareholders.; He instructed CFO Henry to ‘not voluntarily say anything other than what’s being asked’ to the authorities.; Shell’s behavior is all the more striking because the company was already under enhanced control by US authorities because of another Nigerian corruption case.

FULL ARTICLE BELOW

Bags filled with Naira’s were divided amongst politicians. Photo: Shuttershock.

A scheme to purchase an oil field from a corrupt Nigerian former minister of oil was devised and approved at Royal Shell’s headquarters in The Hague. The complete file landed on journalist Harm Ede Botje’s desk. A reconstruction.

A raid on Shell’s headquarters, two former UK Secret Service MI6 agents negotiating with a corrupt Nigerian former minister of oil affairs on behalf of Shell, a former Russian ambassador intermediary in talks with the FBI, a fugitive Nigerian ex-Minister of Justice, millions of dollars in kickbacks for employees of the Italian oil company Eni, bags of Nigerian Nairas being divided among politicians and businessmen. They seem the right ingredients for a riveting thriller, but these events actually happened. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell is being charged with corruption in Nigeria

Shell employees at a borehole in Nigeria in 2002 where the oil comes from the ground and flows via pipes to terminals. Photo: Hollandse Hoogte / Sven Torfinn

…the crimes that would have taken place under the responsibility of Shell were carried out by Malcom Brinded, Peter Robinson, Guy Colegate and John Coplestone between autumn 2009 and 2 May 2014.

Translated from an article published in Dutch language on 20 Dec 2017 by Het Financieele Dagblad

Shell is being charged with corruption in Nigeria an Italian judge decided this afternoon. The lawsuit starts in Milan on 5 March.

In addition to Shell, the Italian oil and gas company Eni and its current CEO, Claudio Descalzi, and a number of former Shell directors are also being put on trial. The verdict follows after months of preliminary investigation and a number of hearings in Milan. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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