OPL 245 & OML 42 corruption ridden Nigerian oil deals involving Shell and a former Shell Vice President, Peter Robinson, have become even murkier. See Reuters report below. No wonder Amnesty International has publicly asked the question of whether Royal Dutch Shell is a Criminal Enterprise in relation to its conduct in Nigeria? 

By Ron Bousso: 6 Dec 2018

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has concluded that a Nigerian oilfield sale where it suspects an executive took bribes was not linked to a separate court case in which he and Shell face corruption charges over a $1.1 billion offshore acquisition.

The Anglo-Dutch company filed a criminal complaint in March against Peter Robinson, a former vice president for sub-Saharan Africa, saying he took bribes in the $390 million sale of onshore Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42 to a Nigerian firm. read more

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

Peter Robinson’s dossier on Shell Nigerian corruption?

FROM A POSTING ON OUR SHELL BLOG – IS THE AUTHOR THE “STREET FIGHTER” PETER ROBINSON?

Dear John,

I believe Shell are in trouble. Deep trouble. Not only has this OPL OML debacle seen the back of some of its most senior execs, Brinded, Voser, Henry etc but now we can expect to see a Pandora’s Box being opened by Peter Robinson. I expect fireworks. The company is very quick when it comes to deploying its resources to bully and shut up it’s external critics or shamelessly pay off those that dare to challenge them. However, in Robinson they are going in to battle with a street fighter who will fight dirty and go down fighting given the alternative is to spend years behind bars. Robinson is a very shrewd business man and will have records of all the corrupt practices that the company was part of, the processes being flouted and the management who were turning a blind eye. I’ve been to Nigeria a few times on business and am always left dumbfounded by how many dodgy things take place in the offices and are part of everyday life. Robinson spent years there and will have an extensive dossier. I think its too late now for Shell to be able to stop the likes of Robinson opening their mouths, with the use of money. Having made an enemy of him points again to seriously incompetent senior advisors within the company. Had no-one heard of ‘keep your friends close, keep your enemies even closer’? It will be a very slippery slope. Van Beurden should use a part of his obscene salary it invest in a good tin hat. I would also advise him to have a good summer clear out of all those who have been advising him on the matter, and of those who failed to stop this from becoming an issue as big, if not bigger, than the infamous reserves scandal. read more

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

Message addressed to “A Mole” concerning your posted anonymous comments on 29 May about former MI6 officer/Shell executive, Guy Colegate:

I am intrigued by your comments.

Can you kindly provide more information?

For example, who is TB?

You can either continue to post anonymously on our Shell Blog, ideally using the same ISP address, so I know it is you, or contact me – John Donovan – by email via john@shellnews.net

THE COMMENTS

The same Guy Colegate who was/is employed by Heritage Oil (through ‘Marlin’) to assist in the purchase of the Nigerian asset OPL 30, acquired under the same kind of circumstances. Purchased using the ‘Shoreline’ vehicle, with those at the top being kept out of sight, and employed indirectly to attempt to hide the Heritage/Sandline International connection. TB is the man to ask read more

I genuinely believe that Ben van Beurden is a decent man and appears to have a good heart, but his weakness in dealing with the army of internal rogue corrupt dictators and getting control of the HR mafia has already cost him his legacy.

MORE SHELL BLOG COMMENTS ABOUT THE BILL CAMPBELL ARTICLE: Stunned and outraged by Shell’s denouncement of Peter Robinson

Yet Another Concerned Employee
 
Behind the glossy facade of its brightly coloured filling stations and shiny reflective glass towers, Shell is truly a dark malevolent force. It is not only the Church of the poisoned mind, but also home to the parasitic mind which snatches thoughts from others and presents them as its own. Experience and being correct are not recognised, only ‘Process’. Many, through either bitter experience, incompetence or ignorance have learned to hide behind process and can no longer think for themselves. Merit is trodden under heel into the mud. Often one bad decision after another results in a predictable squandering of shareholders’ money, not by the millions or tens of millions of dollars, but by the hundreds of millions of dollars. Lessons learned are written down then forgotten as the machine moves forwards. This is rewarded by large bonuses. Reality plays little part in the daily running of the business, the public image of the ‘Brand’ must be protected at all cost. read more

UPDATED: UNDATED

Comment on Bill Campbell *article by “Concerned employee” (Confidential contact information supplied)

I share your sentiments wholeheartedly Bill. The company has been caught with its pants down, with senior staff most likely involved in kickbacks. How could this have got through the numerous assurance including Integrity teams, Auditors etc who all form part of the checks and balances to ensure this is easily picked up (particularly in Nigeria). Either the company is full of incompetence, or there has been a blind eye turned to such corruption. I say (a lot of) both. The amounts of money involved is not loose change. I say this problem is endemic in many of the hardship countries we do business in. Shell is dark, corrupt and dirty and I am beginning to question if I am working for a far more sinister company than I originally thought. And this is playing on my mind.

*Stunned and outraged by Shell’s denouncement of Peter Robinson 

RESPONSE FROM BILL CAMPBELL, RETIRED HSE GROUP AUDITOR, SHELL INTERNATIONAL

Concerned employee

Thank you for your comments. One of the observable symptoms of a corrupt and unethical organisation or individual is when it or they are critical of others whilst ignoring their own faults. Ben van Beurden may be, by all accounts, a nice man and perhaps the most competent chief executive RDS has had since the reserves crisis, but he exhibits a common failing that of shear hypocrisy. Remember, way back in those heady days of 1999, the first year coincidentally that the Company posted a negative reserves ratio, a younger Ben was one of a few aides de camp, protecting and assisting Phil Watts and masking this information at the time from shareholders, investors et al. read more

Comment by retired Shell International HSE Group Auditor, Bill Campbell on The Times article: Shell executive Peter Robinson took bribe, oil giant suspects

Stunned and outraged 

I find the virulent condemnation of Peter Robinson in the OML 42 affair interesting in both the timing, what happened to innocent until proven otherwise, and the strength of the rebuke I understand communicated to thousands of employees down the line, stunned and outraged, pretty strong stuff. read more