Can’t help wondering whether Malcolm Brinded will be “helping the police with their enquiries” regarding OPL245 as he was in charge of E&P at Shell at the time. Assuming that Shell/ENI lose the block, I presume there will be a $550 million hole in the Shell accounts to explain…
By John Donovan
Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of oil company Eni and one of his director colleagues are under investigation, suspected of involvement in the corruption of Nigerian politicians.
Extract from a Bloomberg news report “Eni says CEO probed over $1.1billion Nigeria deal….”
Eni teamed with Royal Dutch Shell Plc in 2011 to buy Oil Prospecting License 245 for $1.1billion. The deal was challenged last year by a Nigerian parliamentary committee, which recommended revoking the rights. The acquisition process was “highly flawed,” the committee said. Global Witness, a London-based corruption watchdog, has also criticized the deal and the involvement of Dan Etete, a former Nigerian oil minister.
A related Wall Street Journal article reports:
“In a statement, Eni said Milan prosecutors have placed Claudio Descalzi, its CEO since May and longtime company veteran, under investigation as part of a preliminary probe related to the acquisition of the large Nigerian offshore oil block OPL 245 in 2011.”
Extract from a related FT report
The announcement by Eni, which denies any “illegal conduct” in the matter, is a significant development in a long-running political and legal drama surrounding one of Nigeria’s most prized oil blocks with reserves estimated at 9bn barrels.
Extract from a related article by Sahara Reporters
Dotun Oloko, an anti-corruption activist who has spoken out about the shady dealings, said “The freezing of $190m in proceeds from the OPL 245 oil deal is good news for the people of Nigeria, many of whom live in poverty despite the country’s oil wealth. $1.1bn was diverted from the public purse, this needs to be recovered as well as get to the bottom of the role companies and individuals played in this heist.”
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Nigeria: The Scandal of Nigerian Oil Block OPL 245
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allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Shell Battles Etete Over Oil Block
ThisDayOnline: Malabu Files Objection to Shell’s Suit
Shell to pay $48m Nigerian bribe fine
(Shell must pay a $30million criminal penalty over charges it paid $2million to a sub-contractor with the knowledge that some or all of the money would be used to bribe Nigerian officials to allow equipment into the country without paying duty. Shell, which has not admitted guilt, must pay a further $18million to repay profits and interests.)
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John
Can’t help wondering whether Malcolm Brinded will be “helping the police with their enquiries” regarding OPL245 as he was in charge of E&P at Shell at the time.
Assuming that Shell/ENI lose the block, I presume there will be a $550 million hole in the Shell accounts to explain…small beer compared with Shell Oil’s “unconventionals” debacle, but how much longer will the shareholders accept these losses? Or perhaps they expect the recipients of their 2011 largesse to simply give it all back?
Ronnie Biggs could only have dreamt of such a heist!
shellplc.website and its sister non-profit websites royaldutchshellplc.com, royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellenergy.website, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net and shell2004.com are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia feature.
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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