Abuja — Nigeria’s anti-graft agency filed new charges against Royal Dutch Shell and Italian multi-national oil and gas company Eni, alleging the companies "corruptly" paid $801m in 2011 when acquiring an offshore oil field. The European oil majors gave that sum to former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete, his company Malabu Oil & Gas, and others in relation to the purchase of Oil Prospecting License 245, "thereby committing an offence," according to documents from the Federal High Court in Abuja. "Eni re-affirms the correctness of its conduct within the acquisition of the licence," the company said in an e-mailed statement on Friday, and said it hasn’t been notified of any charges relating to the deal. The latest charges come after a Nigerian court, in January, ordered Eni and Shell to temporarily cede control of the jointly owned licence to the government, pending investigations. The $1.1bn acquisition of the deep-water Gulf of Guinea licence — estimated to hold at least 9-billion ba...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.