Topic: Bribery and corruption
Brazilian miner’s claim against Steinmetz entities can proceed
The Court of Appeal in London has ruled that an LCIA award does not preclude Brazil’s Vale from bringing a US$500 million claim against entities beneficially owned by Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz to claw back some of the proceeds of a rescinded mining deal in Guinea.
16 July 2021
What Shakespeare tells us about the impact of state corruption proceedings
“Though justice be thy plea, consider this, that, in the course of justice, none of us shall see salvation”, says Portia in The Merchant of Venice. Peter FitzGerald of Peter & Peters in London looks at how state corruption proceedings impact justice in international arbitration, with other references to Shakespeare’s plays.
09 July 2021
Pakistani province’s corruption challenge blocked in London
An English court has blocked the Pakistani province of Balochistan from pleading corruption allegations in a challenge to an ICC partial award won by an Australian mining venture – a dispute that has already given rise to a US$5.9 billion ICSID award.
06 July 2021
Jailed businessman fails in emergency claim against Angola
An emergency arbitrator at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce has refused to hear an imprisoned businessman’s request for relief against Angola ahead of a bilateral investment treaty claim on the basis that she lacked jurisdiction.
21 June 2021
Dutch court overturns ruling in Petrobras fraud suit
A Dutch court has reversed its decision to exclude certain claimants from a class action brought on behalf of investors in Petrobras who suffered losses due to the Lava Jato corruption scandal - after it emerged the Brazilian company had taken conflicting positions on the applicability of an arbitration clause.
18 June 2021
“Wedding gift” to Gabonese mayor leads to set-aside
A French court has annulled a €90 million ICC award against Gabon after finding that a Maltese construction company’s gift of a luxury honeymoon trip to a public official was a “serious indication of corruption”.
26 May 2021
Libya fails in corruption challenge to treaty award
The Paris Court of Appeal has upheld a US$51 million investment treaty award against Libya, rejecting the state’s allegations of corruption and ruling that the legality of the claimants’ investment was a matter for the arbitrators.
26 May 2021
Sierra Leone settles mining claims
A UK commodities trader has agreed to withdraw ICSID and ICC claims against Sierra Leone after reaching an agreement with the state to negotiate a new lease for an iron ore mining project and lift export restrictions.
11 May 2021
Czech Republic puts poppy claim to bed
The Czech Republic has defeated a US$100 million UNCITRAL claim brought by a Dutch company which alleged it was the victim of a fraudulent scheme relating to the sale of blue poppies and other commodities.
30 April 2021
Eni gets discovery from funder for Nigerian corruption dispute
A US court has allowed Italian oil producer Eni to obtain evidence from a third-party funder for use in an ICSID case against Nigeria over the state’s allegations the company paid millions in bribes to secure rights to an oil field.
23 March 2021