Eni, Shell trial to resume

LAGOS, July 20, 2018 – An Italian court is set to resume the trial on alleged corruption by Shell and Eni on Friday.

The judge is expected to decide whether the Nigerian government will be included as a party that suffered damages, daily Business Day reported.

In addition to the two companies, 13 defendants were sent to trial by an Italian judge in December 2017. Among the defendants are Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and former chief Paolo Scaroni.

Malcolm Brinded, former executive director for upstream international; Peter Robinson, former vice-president for Shell’s sub-Saharan Africa operations; Guy Colegate, a business adviser; and John Copleston, a strategic investment adviser, were all charged with bribery in October in relation to the 2011 sale of the OPL 245 block offshore Nigeria to Shell and Eni.

The trial was originally scheduled for March but was postponed to May. After a procedural hearing, the court readjourned until June. At that hearing the next date was set for July.

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