Shell accuses former executive of hiding bribes in Switzerland
The Shell name is linked to two criminal investigations involving Swiss bank accounts.
Keystone
Royal Dutch Shell has filed a criminal complaint against a former employee it suspects of stashing kickbacks from the sale of a Nigerian oil field in Swiss bank accounts.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Reuters/Financial Times/swissinfo.ch/sm
The energy company is already being investigated over another deal there.
In this new case, opened with the Dutch authorities and announced on Wednesday, Shell points the finger at its former head of commercial operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
“We suspect a crime may have been committed by our former employee, Peter Robinson, against Shell in relation to the sale process for Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42 in Nigeria in 2011,” said the Anglo-Dutch group in a statement. “We were stunned and disappointed when we learned about this issue.”
According to Reuters, Nigerian company Neconde Energy Ltd bought OML 42 for $390 million (CHF373 million). Neconde has denied the allegations of bribing Robinson to secure the purchase.
In an unrelated bribery case, Shell, Robinson, and three other former Shell employees are scheduled to go on trial in Milan in May in connection with Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245. Shell is the largest international oil producer in Nigeria.
It was during the investigations for that case that Australian authorities raided Robinson’s house in Perth and discovered links to a Seychelles company and two Swiss bank accounts unknown to Shell, reported the Financial Times on Wednesday.
A lawyer representing Robinson said in a statement he denied any allegations of misconduct.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland confirmed on Wednesday that Swiss federal prosecutors had supplied information to authorities in Italy and the Netherlands probing alleged corruption related to oil contracts in Nigeria.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Heimatort, sweet Heimatort: the unique Swiss concept of home
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Plans materialise for new particle accelerator in Geneva
This content was published on
Preparations for a huge new particle accelerator in Geneva have reached a milestone. After several years of work, a feasibility study for the project has now been finalised.
This content was published on
The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF 7.4 billion, the Swiss Confederation announced on Tuesday. This represents an increase of CHF 1.6 billion in one year. Additional assets have been identified, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
This content was published on
The number of business start-ups in Switzerland accelerated in the first three months of the year, with entrepreneurs being particularly dynamic in Central Switzerland, Basel and Geneva.
Most Swiss authorities want to ban Nazi symbols in public
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss political parties, cantons and associations want to ban the use and distribution of Nazi symbols in public.
This content was published on
French and Swiss armoured and artillery units will train together to strengthen the defence capabilities of the Swiss army.
Harmful substances in particulate matter underestimated: Swiss research
This content was published on
Measurements significantly underestimate the amount of harmful substances in particulate matter, says an international research team under Swiss leadership.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss accounts blocked over suspected Nigerian oil bribery case
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has blocked various bank accounts in Switzerland regarding an alleged oil bribery scheme linked to Nigeria.
Public Eye issues criminal complaint against Glencore
This content was published on
Swiss NGO Public Eye has filed a criminal complaint against the activities of Swiss commodities giant Glencore in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This content was published on
Aaron Bornstein arrived in Kazakhstan in February 2009 with $84m and a daunting assignment. His job was to hand out millions of dollars to impoverished families, non-governmental agencies and students who wanted to pursue secondary education. The catch was that he could not have any dealings with the Kazakh government, which was not exactly happy…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.