Alleged $801m bribe: Shell, Etete, Adoke face charges

All is set for the legal battle over the alleged $801million Malabu oil deal bribe.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday filed charges against a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Dan Etete, a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN) and a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar.

Also charged are eight others.

The others are: Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited; Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited; ENI SPA; Malabu Oil and Gas Limited; Ralph Wetzels (ex- director of SNEPCO), Casula Roberto (Italian) and director of AGIP; Pujatti Stefeno(Italian) and director in AGIP; and Burafato Sebastiano (Italian).

A United Kingdom (UK) anti-corruption group, Global Witness, claimed that $523million of the bribe was paid to some fronts of a former president.

The charge sheet, dated February 28, states that all the accused persons will be arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Division.

No date has been fixed for their arraignment.

All the 11 suspects will face three charges bordering on alleged official corruption of about $801million.

According to the charges filed by the EFCC legal team, comprising Johnson Ojogbane, H.M. Mohammed and Victor Ukagwu, all the accused persons are to face trial for alleged:

conspiracy, contrary to Section 26 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 12 of the same Act; and
official corruption contrary to Section 9 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 9 (b) of the same Act.

The Nation, March 3, 2017

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