An Italian judge on Monday affirmed that oil giants, Eni and Royal Dutch Shell, knew that their 2011 purchase of the controversial Malabu oilfield would result in corrupt payments to Nigerian officials.
The judge, Giusy Barbara, also berated the Nigerian politicians and officials involved in the controversial deal.
Reuters reported on Monday that the Milan judge made the comment in handing down her reasons for the September conviction of Nigerian Emeka Obi and Italian Gianluca Di Nardo, both middlemen in the OPL 245 deal, for corruption.
Messrs Obi and Di Nardo stood as middlemen in connecting the parties and the transfer of the funds through international bank accounts.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how they were found guilty and sentenced four years each.
The Malabu deal, struck in 2011 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, saw the Nigerian government act as a negotiator in the sale of OPL 245 oil block in offshore Nigerian waters.
Two international oil and gas giants, Royal Dutch Shell and Italian Agip-Eni, paid out about $1.1 billion to Dan Etete, a former Nigerian petroleum minister, who had previously been convicted of money laundering in France.
The payout would later become a subject of a cross-border investigation spanning over six countries.
On Monday, the Italian judge said both oil giants were aware of the corrupt influence of the controversial payments.
“The management of oil companies Eni and Shell … were fully aware of the fact that part of the $1.092 billion paid would have been used to compensate Nigerian public officials who had a role in this matter and who were circling their prey like hungry sharks,” the judge said in her reasoning.
Ms Barbara also said part of the money was given to some Eni managers.
Both oil giants were yet to react to the new development Monday afternoon.
Earlier in December, details emerged that Russia asked Italy to drop charges against a former ambassador caught up in the long-running Nigerian corruption case. Legal documents showed that authorities in Russia plan to ensure charges against Ednan Agaev, a former ambassador, were dropped.
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