Topic: Bribery and corruption

A joint venture between French telecoms group Orange and Kuwaiti logistics group Agility has asked a US court to compel Dechert to produce documents concerning an alleged bribery scheme in Iraq for use in a US$1 billion ICC arbitration over its stake in a Kurdish mobile operator.

01 December 2020

An arbitral tribunal has reportedly upheld jurisdiction over a third-party funded claim worth up to US$35 billion brought against Brazil by a minority shareholder in Petrobras over losses the state-owned oil company sustained as a result of the Lava Jato corruption probe.

25 November 2020

The Paris Court of Appeal has set aside a French construction company’s €452 million ICC award against Libya after finding it was based on a fraudulent settlement agreement.

18 November 2020

A French court has refused to set aside a US$95 million ICC award won by a US airport security company against Benin, rejecting the state’s allegations that the underlying contract was procured through corruption.

12 November 2020

The Singapore High Court has enforced an ad hoc award in favour of one of the world’s largest energy traders despite a third party’s admission that the contract was procured corruptly.

06 November 2020

A London court has lifted an injunction that prevented Clyde & Co from transferring US$340 million to its Saudi-owned client to comply with an UNCITRAL award  – funds that US and Malaysian prosecutors allege can be traced to the 1MDB corruption scandal.

02 November 2020

Colombia’s highest administrative court has upheld an award that nullified an Odebrecht consortium’s contract for a billion-dollar highway construction on grounds of corruption – a project that has also given rise to ICC claims and the threat of an investment treaty arbitration.

14 October 2020

Italian energy company Eni has launched an ICSID arbitration against Nigeria in response to the state’s allegations that its US$1 billion purchase of an oil prospecting licence was the product of corruption.

08 October 2020

The US Department of Justice is attempting to seize the proceeds of an arbitral award held by Clyde & Co that Malaysian authorities say can be traced to the 1MDB corruption scandal.

17 September 2020

The Commercial Court in London has ruled that Nigeria can pursue a late challenge to a US$10 billion award over a failed gas project, ruling there is a “strong prima facie case” that it was tainted by corruption, perjury and dishonest conduct.

04 September 2020