Paolo scaroni acquitted for the matter of bribes in Algeria linked to Saipem. The decision was made by the Milan judge, Alessandra Clemente, at the end of the preliminary hearing: the former ENI number one he was accused of concurring in international corruption.
The investigation unmasked contracts for 8 billion euros for the exploitation of deposits and the construction of gas pipelines in Algeria, on which bribes of 197 million euros would have been paid. Money partly paid to politicians of the North African regime, but which in part - according to the accusation of the Milanese prosecutors De Pasquale, Palma, Spadaro - would have returned to the availability of foreign accounts of Saipem managers.
The Gup of Milan has therefore excluded the responsibility of Eni, which has expressed its satisfaction with the decisions of the Court of Milan. In addition to Scaroni it was the manager Antonio Vella was also acquitted, former Eni manager for South Africa, and the same company for law 231.
On the other hand, the other seven defendants are judged, mostly Saipem managers and two local intermediaries: they are the former chief operating officer of Saipem, Pietro Varone, the former financial director first of Saipem and then of Eni, Alessandro Bernini, the former president and ex CEO of Saipem, Pietro Tali, and then Farid Noureddine Bedjaoui, Khelil's trustee believed to be the intermediary between public officials in Algeria and the managers of the ENI subsidiary. And, finally, Samyr Ouraied, a trusted man of Bedjaoui himself (both fugitives).
