Italian Prosecutors Request Eni CEO, Shell Stand Trial--Sources

By Deborah Ball and Manuela Mesco 

MILAN -- Italian prosecutors have requested that Royal Dutch Shell PLC and the chief executive of Italian oil group Eni SpA stand trial over allegations of corruption tied to a large Nigerian oil deal, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The prosecutors have requested that Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni, and 10 other people be tried for alleged corruption tied to a deal Shell and Eni struck in 2011 to gain control of an offshore oil block in Nigeria.

At the time, the two companies won rights to the block after paying $1.3 billion. Eni paid the money to the Nigerian government, but about $1.1 billion was later transferred to a former oil minister, according to documents from cases in the U.K. and Italy. Shell had already invested a large amount of money in the oil block and agreed to share the rights with the Italian group.

In a statement Wednesday, Eni's board said it believes Mr. Descalzi is innocent and expressed its support for the chief executive. A spokeswoman for Shell had no immediate comment.

Write to Deborah Ball at [e-mail] and Manuela Mesco at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 08, 2017 12:48 ET (17:48 GMT)

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