The Cable
Two Italian prosecutors — Fabio De Pasquale (pictured) and Sergio Spadaro — are likely to face trial for misconduct following the decision to open investigation against them on Tuesday.
The Italian ministry of justice’s inquiry centres on their conduct in the trial of Shell and Eni over the acquisition of OPL 245 from Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd.
The prosecutors are accused of concealing vital evidence in their bid to secure conviction — although a Milan court eventually discharged and acquitted the oil companies and their executives of corruption.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Bello Adoke, the Nigerian attorney-general when the deal was signed in 2011, had earlier alleged that the prosecutors stage-managed a telephone conversation with an impostor in order to implicate him.
He also alleged that an e-mail purportedly from him was forged as part of the plan.
According to ViviMilano, an Italian journal, the prosecutors are being accused of failing to file evidence in their possession that would have supported Eni’s position in the trial.
The magistrates also reportedly questioned the credibility of Vincenzo Armanna, a co-defendant and former manager of Eni who had been fired, following the discovery of a video recording “in which Armanna explicitly declares that he is willing to blackmail the top management of the oil company and is ready to involve the PM Milanese to send ‘an avalanche of shit’ and ‘a guarantee notice’ to the top managers of the group”.
The report said Armanna was involved in the manipulation of chats and the production of a false witness with an alleged bribe of $50,000 offered to a Nigerian policeman.
The policeman was to pose as the shadowy character named “Victor” who supposedly knew all the “dirty” details of the OPL 245 transaction.
Paolo Storari, the Italian prosecutor who investigated De Pasquale and Spadaro, reportedly uncovered evidence which showed that the telephone chats submitted to the magistrates were doctored.
The new findings came to light after computer searches ordered by the Brescia public prosecutors office to acquire all email communications from the two magistrates.
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