Nigeria will continue its $3.5bn civil claim against Shell Plc and Eni SpA after Italian prosecutors dropped criminal proceedings against the companies; a lawyer representing Africa’s largest crude producer said.

The West African country; which joined the case as a civil party in 2018, still plans to appeal the March 2021 ruling by a court in Milan.

The Milan court had acquitted the energy giants and several of their current and former executives of corruption charges; Olabode Johnson, a lawyer for the Nigerian government.

Prosecutors said they would not challenge the decision; had alleged executives involved in the 2011 deal to gain an offshore oil permit knew that much of the $1.1bn; paid into an escrow account controlled by the Nigerian government would be disbursed as bribes.

-Punch

https://punchng.com/fg-continues-3-5bn-eni-shell-suit-italy-drops-charges/