Statoil HQ Raided Last Night Over Iran-consultant Case
September 12, 2003
Ample
AFX
OSLO -- 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.
elisabeth.dalseg@afxnews.com http://www.iii.co.uk/shares/?type=news&articleid=4743653&action=articleA little early in the A.M. to already see three comments removed! Are the malcontents here again?