A corporate bribery trial billed as the biggest in history opened Monday against the Shell and Eni oil companies as well as former and current executives, all charged in a $1.1 billion scandal to win control of one of Nigeria’s most lucrative oil blocks.
The size of the two oil companies makes the trial the biggest ever, according to anti-corruption campaigners, who also say it is unprecedented that Eni’s current CEO, Claudio Descalzi, remains in his post while he faces such serious charges.
“We have never seen a sitting CEO of an oil major go on trial for bribery,” said Barnaby Pace, a campaigner with activist group Global Witness…
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/biggest-bribery-trial-history-opens-eni-shell-53520275
