OPL 245: Eni, Shell must face corruption charges in Nigeria, CSOs tell FG
A coalition of civil society organisations has urged the federal government to press corruption charges against Eni, Shell, and other defendants involved in the OPL 245 deal.
In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the CSOs said there would be no risk of double jeopardy due to the differences between legal systems in Italy and Nigeria.read more
“Two middlemen have already been found guilty for their role in this deal in a separate trial. A criminal trial of Shell and Eni’s Nigerian subsidiaries is ongoing in Nigeria while they also face an investigation in The Netherlands where Shell has said they expect to face criminal charges. Today’s verdict does not mark the final word in this scandal for Shell and Eni.”
Shell and Eni verdict: Not the final word on this scandal
NGOs and activists are today disappointed and outraged as Shell and Eni – two of the worlds biggest polluters – were found not guilty of corruption relating to the purchase of a Nigerian oilfield, in a Milan trial. Global Witness urges the prosecution to consider all options to appeal this verdict and continues to follow ongoing criminal investigations into the case in Nigeria and the Netherlands.read more
“Two middlemen have already been found guilty for their role in this deal in a separate trial. A criminal trial of Shell and Eni’s Nigerian subsidiaries is ongoing in Nigeria while they also face an investigation in The Netherlands where Shell has said they expect to face criminal charges. Today’s verdict does not mark the final word in this scandal for Shell and Eni.”
Malabu Scandal: Acquittal of Shell, Eni ‘stain on Italy’ — Anti-corruption campaigners
Environmental and social justice groups on Wednesday condemned Italy’s anti-corruption laws as “unfit for purpose”.read more
Eni and Shell Acquitted of Nigeria Bribery Charges in Milan
Alberto Brambilla, Laura Hurst: Mar 17 2021, 9:24 PM Mar 18 2021, 4:43 AM
(Bloomberg) — Eni SpA, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and several of their current and former executives were acquitted of corruption charges related to a Nigerian oil deal by a court in Milan.
The verdict ends a three-year legal saga that loomed large over the tenure of Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi, who was among those found not guilty on Wednesday. Italian prosecutors had sought an eight-year jail term for him.read more
The powerful Italian energy giant Eni is leading lobbying efforts in Europe, pushing for the EU to support climate-wrecking fossil gas – all whilst on the stand in the corporate corruption trial of the decade.
We can also reveal new details surrounding the “OPL 245” trial, in which both Eni and Shell are accused of involvement in a vast bribery scheme that saw hundreds of millions of dollars funnelled to Nigerian politicians.
Key findings
Our new report finds that Eni’s CEO, who is also personally on trial and facing up to eight years in prison, was granted high level access to lobby the EU’s Energy Commissioner as recently as June 2020.read more
The CEO of Italian energy giant Eni, Claudio Descalzi, was granted access to EU commissioners and officials to push the case for gas in the bloc’s energy transition – whilst allegedly involved in a billion-dollar corruption scandal, according to a report by Global Witness on Monday (15 March).
Descalzi is on trial in Italy, alongside his company Eni plus Royal Dutch Shell, for their roles in the $1.1bn (€921m) purchase of a Nigerian offshore oil field (called OPL 245) in 2011.read more
Some extracts from current customer comments posted on Trustpilot: “Got a debt collecting company to chase me for money 9 days before the bill was due and 10 days after I gave the reading. Half an hour wait to be told – oops”: “If I could give them 0 I would. Horrendous customer service…”: “WHY ARE YOU SUCH A BUNCH OF LYING, CONNIVING, MIS-SELLING PARASITES?”
Featured below are extracts from negative customer reviews about Shell Energy posted over the past few days on Trustpilot. Visit the Shell Energy page on Trustpilot to view all reviews in their entirety, positive and negative (and Shell Energy responses). Watch out for any fake reviews. Note the reoccurring themes in the negative reviews, including difficulty in communicating with the company. This article posted on 25 JAN 2021.read more
OPL245 Scandal: Coalition urges World Bank group not to protect oil giants
…prosecutions relating to the OPL 245 deal are live in two jurisdictions (Nigeria and Italy); Investigations are also live in The Netherlands, where the prosecutors have told Royal Dutch Shell, which was also a party to the deal that they have sufficient evidence to prosecute.
A World Bank affiliated group may scuttle Nigeria’s bid to successfully prosecute illicit funds associated with the controversial OPL 245, a coalition of international anti-corruption groups has said.read more
Analysis: Will Nigeria yield in oil deal wrestling bout with Shell and Eni?
By Lionel Faull: 27 October 2020
High profile courtroom dramas involving multiple sides often have the feel of a WWE Smackdown wrestling match: titanic egos clashing with each other, trying to batter their foes into submission. The fighters forge alliances, and the argy-bargy can sometimes spill out of the ring and break out elsewhere in the auditorium.
An epic international corruption trial that is now drawing to a close under the glamourous lights of Milan is a case in point.read more
In the recent article (below”) about the OPL 245 corruption scandal, published under the translated headline “Eni-Nigeria trial, Prosecutor requests 8 Years sentence for Descalzi,” reference is made to “an axis of spies that runs through this story.”
It mentions the involvement of Shell’s MI6 hires responsible for generating the incriminating emails found in the raid and search of Shell’s HQ that has done so much damage to Shell’s reputation.read more
Anti-graft groups query Nigerian Justice Minister on OPL 245 assets recovery
27 July 2020: Henry Uche
Nigeria’s Minister of Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has been asked to give full disclosure of recovered assets linked to the OPL multi-billion dollar oil scam.
In a statement delivered by the Chairman of Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) Mr Olanrewaju Suraj, the charge came after the Corner House, Global Witness, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) and Re-Common, launched a global campaign through a letter to the AGF Malami for transparency in the assets recovered from the scam. In the petition, the groups raised 25 critical questions for Malami.read more
Sergio Spadaro, the Italian deputy prosecutor, on Thursday told a Milan court prosecuting Shell and Eni over the OPL 245/Malabu affair that all parties involved in the deal were corrupt.
He said President Goodluck Jonathan, who led Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, Dan Etete, who allocated OPL 245 to Malabu Oil and Gas — a company in which he had interest as minister of petroleum — in 1998 and Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was minister of petroleum when the oil block was sold to Shell and Eni by Malabu in 2011, all had long-standing relationships.read more
As oil prices tumble and the world heads into a COVID-19-induced recession, Nigeria needs every naira that it can recover from looted assets that are hidden abroad.
It was never going to be easy getting Nigeria’s money back. The forces lined up against justice for the victims of corruption are mighty, and if they are to be countered, it demands nothing less than the full commitment of the Ministry of Justice to a coherent, well-funded, transparent asset recovery programme.read more
OPL 245 Scandal: Biased media reports protect oil giants, former public officers – Group
Godwin Tsa, Abuja: 24 MAY 2020
A coalition of local and international anti-corruption movements have raised concerns over what they allege to be a plot to foil the corruption charges against some mega oil companies involved in the Malabu (OPL 245) oil scandal.
In a statement on Sunday, the groups under the aegis of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Re-Common, Cornerhouse and Globalwitness collectively called on the media to protect the interest and integrity of the judiciary by being professional in their reportage on the scam associated with OPL 245.read more
Nigeria: Malabu Scandal – Activists Kick As Italy Appoints Accused Official As ENI CEO
By Oladeinde Olawoyin
21 April 2020
The Italian government has re-nominated Claudio Descalzi as Chief Executive Officer of Eni, Italy’s largest multinational company and the country’s largest foreign oil producer in Africa.
Mr Descalzi is set to maintain the leadership role despite an ongoing criminal trial over corruption allegations surrounding the billion dollar 2011 acquisition by Shell and Eni of Nigeria’s OPL 245 oil license.
Italian prosecutors allege that the $1.1bn paid by Eni and their partner Shell for the OPL 245 licence was used to pay former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete and was “intended for payment to a former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, members of the government, and other Nigerian public officials”.read more
In 2018, Italian prosecutors brought a criminal case over the alleged involvement of Shell, and the Italian oil multinational Eni, in a 1.3 billion US dollar bribery scheme linked to the license of OPL 245. This is the name of one of Nigeria’s most valuable offshore oil blocks.
Thirteen individuals, including some current and former senior managers of Shell and the Italian oil company Eni, are currently on trial in Italy relating to how the two companies acquired the block in 2011.80The defendants include both companies, a former Royal Dutch Shell Executive Board Member and two former MI6 agents who worked for Shell.81read more
Economic Growth = Environmental Recession: You can be SURE of HELL, sorry missed an ‘s’ SHELL
Very poor upload speeds: Unfortunately I was persuaded to switch to Shell Energy Broadband after a conversation with a staffer of USwitch, supposedly because download speeds were a little faster than PlusNet.
But what a bad decision! Upload speeds are truly terrible, and the download speeds struggle to get up to what they publicise. Its an indictment of USwitch advice that they failed to point out how much upload speeds can vary between providers and that you can be trading DOWN to a worse service.
Oh and I didn't even mention that the router they provided has disabled 'itself' off wireless twice already, the system having to be 'reset' at great inconvenience.
Do the sane thing - don't be tempted as I was to choose this provider.
USA USA USA: ok... it looks like Malaysia is next on the chopping block. piece by piece...
Beaver Cracker: Rather than fixing the problem, Shell ordered the whistleblowers off the project and the contractor fired the two inspectors. The couple’s allegations are contained in their whistleblower complaint filed with the Labor Department.
Shell Energy will rip you off!!: If you want to be ripped off go to Shell Energy. I live in a one bed flat and they charged me £291 for 1 months electricity and sent me out a wrong bill for £1500 when it was only £800. Yes stress!
Oh i forgot i raised a complaint on 29th July of which no one got back to me so I called today to be offered £30 and 6 sorrys of so sorry mistakes happen.
The only saving grace was that the customer service rep was very good.
Beaver Cracker: It is no surprise to read about the pipeline inspectors findings. Penn Chem has a checkered past with respect to negative findings in assurance and audit activities. Just dig into the earth works, water conduits, foundations, blasting damage, pressure vessel quality, etc. They have run off so many safety professional (and quality inspectors) until they found those who wouldn't rock the boat and let the contractors "get on with it". Not to mention the number who found opportunities elsewhere. Those left, are mostly happy to look the other way and collect the paycheck. All to make single use PE... BvB talks about the environment and safety. Can he walk it? Reshape demonstrates the strong commitment to eliminate independent S&E assurance activities, now that is a learner mindset twist on "inherent" safety!
Shell Penn Whistleblowers: Two former pipeline inspectors say they were fired for reporting hazards on a volatile liquids pipeline to Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s massive new petrochemical plant northwest of Pittsburgh.
The inspectors, Frank Chamberlin and Susan D’Layne Carite, said they warned Shell managers and even federal regulators in 2019 that the anti-corrosion coating was defective on the company’s Falcon pipeline. That could increase the threat of corrosion, a leading cause of pipeline ruptures.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/whistleblowers-say-bad-seeds-undermine-pipeline-safety/
USA USA USA: Does anyone have the list of Shell assets for sale this week? After the rumors of Aera / Permian, maybe Norco, Penn Chem, GOM, ... Whats next?
Listen and read proof in audio and transcript form of Shell CEO Ben van Beurden’s cover-up tactics in the OPL 245 Nigerian corruption scandal. The instruction given by him in the covertly recorded call to CFO Simon Henry was at odds with Shell’s claimed core business principles. Cover-up and obstruction, instead of transparency and integrity, says Shell critic John Donovan
JOHN DONOVAN TV DOCUMENTARY INTERVIEW
SHELL EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF A SCHEME TO STEAL $1.3 BILLION FROM NIGERIA’S PEOPLE
SHELL ADMITS DEALING WITH NIGERIAN MONEY LAUNDERER – BBC NEWS
SHELL, ENI AND NIGERIAN OFFICIALS IN OPL 245 CORRUPTION SCANDAL
INVESTIGATION OF OPL 245 NIGERIAN OIL CORRUPTION SCANDAL
DUTCH EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY SHELL/EXXON
SHELL KILLS FOR OIL IN NIGERIA
ESTHER KIOBEL SUES SHELL FOR COMPLICITY IN HUSBANDS MURDER
ESTHER KIOBEL: EVIL OIL GIANT SHELL COLLUDED IN THE EXECUTION OF MY INNOCENT HUSBAND
SHELL LIED ABOUT CLEANING UP OIL IN NIGER DELTA
SHELL SPIES INFILTRATED NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT
LEGO DROPS SHELL OVER GREENPEACE OIL SPILL VIDEO
SHELL ARCTIC DRILLING ACCIDENTS
SHELL KNEW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE DECADES AGO
ABANDONED BY SHELL: KEITH MACDONALD & FAMILY, VICTIMS OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION AT WORK
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL FOUNDER SIR HENRI DETERDING, NAZI FINANCIER
JOHN DONOVAN PROMOTIONAL GAMES FOR SHELL AND OTHER CLIENTS
AN OPEN WOUND FOR SHELL SAYS FT
John Donovan’s ebooks
EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
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OVER 500 EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS CITING OUR SHELL WEBSITES
See our link list of over 500 articles by the FT, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, Dow Jones Newswires, New York Times, CNBC etc, plus UK House of Commons Select Committee Hansard records, information on U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission websiteetc. all containing references to our Shell focussed websites, or our website founders Alfred and John Donovan. Includes TV documentary features in English and German, newspaper and magazine articles, radio interviews, newsletters etc. Plus academic papers, Stratfor intelligence reports and UK, U.S. and Australian state/parliamentary publications, also citing our Shell websites. Click on this link to see the entire list, all in date order with a link to an index of over 60 books also containing references to our non-profit websites and/or our activities.
John Donovan, the website owner A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
Anti-graft groups query Nigerian Justice Minister on OPL 245 assets recovery
OPL 245 Scandal: Biased media reports protect oil giants, former public officers – Group
Nigeria: Malabu Scandal – Activists Kick As Italy Appoints Accused Official As ENI CEO
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EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.