20 December 2017
Two global oil giants, Eni and Shell, are to stand trial in Italy over allegations of corruption in Nigeria.
The case involves the purchase of an offshore oil block in Nigeria for $1.3bn (£1bn) in 2011.
The companies deny wrongdoing, saying they acquired the rights in accordance with Nigerian law.
The trial in Italy is expected to start in March next year. It follows a lengthy investigation by Italian prosecutors.
Anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness says it could be one of the biggest corporate corruption trials in history.
The companies are also facing charges in Nigeria over the case, which concerns Nigeria’s OPL-245 – an offshore oilfield estimated to hold 9bn barrels of crude oil – secured by Shell and Eni in 2011.
The allegation is that a large part of the $1.3bn payment went not to the Nigerian state but to Nigerian politicians as a bribe.
Emails sent between Shell management, which were released by Global Witness in April, suggest Shell was aware the money would end up in the pockets of Nigerian politicians.
As well as the two corporations, key individuals in the companies are facing charges including Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi and former Shell executive Malcolm Brinded.
The prosecution claim that the oil companies used a Nigerian middleman, a former oil minister Dan Etete, to pay the bribe.
Mr Etete will also go on trial.
In a press release issued on behalf of its board of directors, Eni said it was confident that neither the company nor its CEO were involved in the alleged illegal conduct.
A Shell statement said it was confident that nothing illegal had occurred, adding: “We believe the trial judges will conclude that there is no case against Shell or its former employees.”
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
