It is alleged that from 1995 to 2004, Total SA made about $60
million in bribe payments to an Iranian official in order to obtain oil rights
in three oil and gas fields, according to the deferred prosecution agreement.
The Paris prosecutor recommended that the company and its CEO, Christophe de
Margerie, stand trial on corruption charges along with two other people, the office
said in a statement. The investigating judge now has to decide whether a trial
should go ahead.
De Margerie was placed under formal investigation in 2007 by French judges
looking into allegations Total, Europe’s third-largest oil company, paid bribes
to win contracts signed in 1997 with National Iranian Oil Co. to develop South
Pars, one of the world’s largest natural gas fields.
De Margerie took over as head of Total in February 2007. Just over a month
after he took the helm, he was placed under formal investigation for alleged
misuse of funds and corrupting foreign civil servants after being held in
custody for two days for questioning.
No comments:
Post a Comment