An Italian court in Milan has sentenced two defendants to prison terms in a Nigeria corruption case related to a 2011 offshore oilfield purchase, a legal source said on Thursday.
Nigeria’s Emeka Obi and Italian Gianluca Di Nardo were each given four-year jail sentences, the source said.
The case stems from the 2011 purchase by energy companies Eni and Shell of the OPL-245 offshore oilfield in Nigeria for about $1.3 billion, reports Reuters.
The oil field is reputed to be one of Africa’s biggest oilfields.
The controversial case involves Eni’s Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Descalzi, and four former Shell managers including one-time Shell Foundation Chairman, Malcolm Brinded.
Thursday’s case is parallel to the main trial of both oil giants.
It may, however, give clues to what might be around the corner for the two companies.
Mr Obi is one of the middlemen who had claimed that he deserved a share of the $1.3 billion, saying he helped mediate negotiations between the oil giants and ex-Nigerian petroleum minister, Dan Etete.
Italian prosecutors allege that Mr Obi received a mandate from Mr Etete to find a buyer for OPL 245, collecting $114 million while Mr Di Nardo took $24 million of that amount for putting Mr Obi in touch with Eni.
Obi and his Italian colleague were middlemen in the deal.
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