Italian prosecutors want British help in investigating ENI for possible bribery of Nigerian officials
Italian public prosecutors have asked Britain to freeze an account holding US$85 million in their preliminary investigation into whether top officials in the ENI oil company conspired to bribe Nigerian officials, Africa Confidential has learned. We have seen a confidential letter from Milan public prosecutors Fabio de Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro asking the Home Office to seize the money, held in a National Savings and Investment account managed by the City of London branch of Natwest Bank, which is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, because, they claim, it is the proceeds of a bribe. They say that ENI used the Nigerian government as a conduit for bribes to facilitate the award of Oil Prospecting Licence 245 (OPL 245).
End of preview - This article contains approximately 818 words.
