Statoil HQ raided last nightover Iran-consultant case (Norway)

AFX ^ | September 12, 2003

[Miss Marple]

OSLO (AFX) - Statoil's headquarters was raided by Norway's Economic Criminal Bureau last night as part of an investigation into the company's business contacts in Iran, according to a report on the website of Norwegian financial daily Dagens Naeringsliv.Statoil declined to comment on the raid, but said it will make a statement at a news conference at 10.00 am today.

The raid was related to Dagens Naeringsliv's expose on an agreement between Statoil and Iranian businessman Abbas Yazdi and his company Horton investment.

This contract led to contact with and advice from Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, son of former Iranian president Rafsanjani and director of a unit of Iranian state oil company Nioc - Statoil's Iranian partner.

Yazdi was to supply consultancy services for more than 100 mln nkr over ten years, and more than 40 mln nkr has already been transferred to a Swiss bank account.

The raid targeted the international exploration and production division.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks again to Doctor ZIn for finding this story and posting it on the Iranian thread. I thought it needed wider exposure.

[Miss Marple]

Interesting stuff going on in Norwegian oil company...thought you might be interested.

[Dog Gone]

I don't understand this. Was Statoil bribing an Iranian for some reason?

[Miss Marple]

Apparently they were using an Iranian contact to get them preferred treatment with Rafsanjani's son, who influences the Iranian oil business. They paid off the Iranian guy with money deposited in a Swiss account.

[Dog Gone]

I'm glad that the government is whacking them.

[DoctorZIn]

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