Nigeria charges Shell, Eni with corruption in the sale of oil bloc

JOHANNESBURG — Nigeria has filed criminal charges of corruption against oil multinationals Royal Dutch Shell and Eni over the $1.1 billion sale of one of Africa’s richest oil blocks.

Both companies have denied any wrongdoing. Charges filed at the High Court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, allege the companies paid $801 million to former Oil Minister Dan Etete, former Justice Minister Mohammed Bello Adoke and businessman Aliyu Abubakar for the license to OPL 245. Nigeria’s government got only $210 million from the deal.

“These charges show Nigeria’s intention to fight corruption by holding the powerful to account,” Simon Taylor of corruption watchdog Global Witness said in a statement Saturday. “The days when oil companies could use their influence to keep backroom deals with corrupt officials under wraps are over.”

He said the alleged bribes amount to 80 percent of Nigeria’s 2015 health budget.

Nigerian High Court papers stamped Thursday and seen by The Associated Press name the accused as the Nigeria subsidiary of British-Dutch Shell and its ex-director Ralph Wetzels, Italy’s Eni, Eni’s Nigeria subsidiary Agip and directors Roberto Casula, Stefano Pujatti and Sebastiano Burrafato.

Also charged is Malabu Oil, the company Etete set up secretly and awarded OPL 245 while he was oil minister.

Etete, Adoke and Abubakar, all believed to be living in Europe, could not be reached for comment.

The charges were laid by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which in January won a court order ceding control of the oil bloc to the government.