1/ Back at the Milan palace of justice for the Shell/ Eni trial. In the witness box today is Simon Taylor, a founding director of @Global_Witness
Follow for highlights this morning.
Follow for highlights this morning.
2/ Taylor tells the court that in @Global_Witness investigations over the last 25 years have shown that corruption is the glue that binds the exploitation of natural resources to conflict, environmental abuses and human rights abuses.
3/ Taylor explains how he first heard about Malabu and OPL 245 in 2002 when Africa Energy Intelligence reported on their connection to Dan Etete. At the time @PWYPtweets was being launched so there was an interest in looking into case studies of possible corrupt oil deals.
4/ Taylor explains how @Global_Witness saw that this was a very large sum of money being paid for a Nigerian state asset that didn't go to the government so some questions had to be asked.
5/ Taylor tells how @Global_Witness started asking Shell questions in 2008, concerned whether Shell understood that dealing with Etete would be problematic.
6/ Taylor explains hows Shell's answers to questions in conversations and letters asking about OPL 245 were very general and didn't answer the specifics.
7/ Taylor explains that in 2012 @Global_Witness emailed Eni after seeing court documents where Ednan Agaev, an intermediary who sued in New York for a payment he wanted from Malabu out of the OPL 245 deal.
8/ Taylor explains how @Global_Witness and @Recommon attended the Eni shareholders meeting to ask questions about the deal and whether they knew Etete had an interest in Malabu. Also asked about the role of Mr Bisignani and his phone call with Descalzi.
9/ Taylor explains how after one Eni shareholders meeting Eni offered to meet @Global_Witness and our partners. Eni walked out after their General Counsel was asked if he had questioned Descalzi whether he was on the phone to Bisignani.
10/ Taylor explains after seeing documents from the Nigerian House of Representatives investigation into the case, a journalist we worked with visited addresses of the companies that received the OPL 245 money but they didn't exist or people there hadn't heard of the companies.
11/ Taylor explains how @Global_Witness investigated the beneficial ownership of Malabu where it was suspected Etete had a ownership interest hidden under the fake name of Kweku Amafegha.
12/ Taylor explains how letters from Department for Petroleum Resources managers said that the OPL 245 deal was not in the public interest.
13/ No cross examination questions from the defence. So after a few technicalities that wraps up proceedings for today. Court will resume next Wednesday 24th. A reminder that @RadioRadicale are putting up recordings - keen journos should check them out! radioradicale.it/processi/1255/…
