Eni, Scaroni Indicted in Bribes Case

A senior judge in Milan has indicted former Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni, the companies Eni and Saipem, and seven other defendants including Eni’s former North Africa chief Antonio Vella and former Saipem chief Pietro Varone for international corruption, according to Italian press reports on July 27. The trial is to start on December 5.

The case relates to €198mn bribes allegedly paid by Saipem, then controlled by Eni, to secure contracts worth some €8bn in Algeria in 2008. In October 2015, Scaroni, Vella and Eni were acquitted by a different senior judge in Milan, but this February its verdict was set aside by a higher court, and the case assigned to a new Milan judge.

Eni's logo (Photo credit: Eni)

Eni said July 27 that “in relation to court proceedings for the alleged bribery case relating to Saipem’s activities in Algeria, Eni acknowledges that the new judge for the preliminary hearing in charge of the case [Manuela Scudieri] decided the commitment for trial for Eni. Eni continues to deny any illegal conduct and is confident that this will be ascertained in court proceeding.”

Scaroni was Eni CEO from 2005 to 2014.

Mark Smedley