Marc Cherqui, former financial director of the oil services company Bourbon leaving the Marseille courthouse, March 18, 2019 (AFP/Archives/Boris HORVAT)
The staff of the French oil services group Bourbon defended itself on Thursday of having corrupted Nigerian tax agents in order to overturn a tax adjustment, placing the responsibility on its local African partner.
Eight managers and former managers of the French group of maritime services to oil companies have been appearing since Monday before the Marseille criminal court for acts of corruption of foreign public officials in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.
In Nigeria, 2.7 million dollars were said to have greased the hands of tax inspectors and the director of the Criminal Investigation Department in 2012 with the aim of reducing the amount of an announced tax adjustment to 4.1 million dollars. to the tune of $227 million for Bourbon, according to the prosecution.
Bourbon had delegated negotiations with the tax authorities to its local partner, the Nigerian company Intels, a subsidiary of the Orleaninvest group, with which the companies Bourbon Interoil Nigeria Limited (BINL) under Nigerian law and Bourbon Offshore Interoil Nigeria had been created as a joint venture. Service Limited (BOINSL) under Portuguese law.
Gaël Bodénès (g), deputy general director of operations of the Bourbon group, leaving the Marseille court, March 18, 2019 (AFP/Archives/Boris HORVAT)
Confronted with exchanges of emails between Marc Cherqui, the tax director of Bourbon sent to supervise this tax audit in Lagos, with other senior executives of the company, revealing ongoing corruption, Gaël Bodénès, at the time deputy general manager operational and today number 1 of the company, deplored at the bar that “[s]”the instructions were not followed.”
Learning of the possibility of paying bribes, “my first reaction was ‘no question of Bourbon participating in this type of request'”, assured Christian Lefèvre, at the time general director of the group.
Christian Lefèvre, former general director of the Bourbon group, leaves the Marseille court, March 18, 2019 (AFP/Archives/Boris HORVAT)
However, no leader has mentioned any instructions to oppose the current maneuvers. “I had no power over Intels,” opposed Mr. Lefevre.
“If Intels paid funds, I am not responsible, it is a very powerful group locally. If that happened, it is Intels’ problem,” Laurent Renard also dismissed, former general manager responsible for finance.
Now retired, Mr. Renard also did not react when he read a summary email on the tax audit mentioning a commission to be paid, “a PR [Public Relation] of three million dollars still negotiable.
“I don’t want to get into that,” he retorts to the president of the court Laure Humeau, surprised by this burying his head in the sand policy.
“You say + it does not concern me + but it is on behalf of BINL in which you are 40% associated”, she reiterates, emphasizing the declarations of Bourbon which has always mentioned the risk of being tainted by corrupt practices, particularly with respect to Anglo-Saxon clients.
Laurent Renard (g), deputy general director of finance of the Bourbon group, leaving the Marseille court, March 18, 2019 (AFP/Archives/Boris HORVAT)
Questioned about an email from Rodolphe Bouchet, the current director of Bourbon Marine and Logistics, at the time the interlocutor of Marc Cherqui, evoking what looks like an agreement for a bribe of two million euros, Gaël Bodénès hides behind the management, at the same period, of a kidnapping of Bourbon sailors, six Russians and an Estonian by pirates demanding a ransom.
According to the group’s staff, “Bourbon paid the tax authorities what the company owed, in a country where it is complicated, but none of its companies took out sums illegally.”
The court must address possible corruption schemes in Cameroon or Equatorial Guinea in the coming days. The indictment is expected on Tuesday.
© 2024 AFP
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