The Total is indicted for corruption
A first for a group of ACC 40.Total was indicted on 27 February by the French judge Serge Tournaire, corruption, complicity and concealment of influence peddling in the case called "oil-food cons", echoing the UN program established in 1997 for the Iraqis, when the international embargo following the invasion of Kuwait.
After the setbacks in terms of image for Total, with Erika – Total was sentenced on appeal to pay 375,000 euros – and AZF, this attack could further extend the negative perception of the French vis-?-vis the oil group .
A decision "incomprehensible"
The investigation started in 2002 had directed to various French personalities suspected of having distributed the early 2000s kickbacks to members of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein that the group continues to source barrels of oil outside the framework imposed program of the UN oil-food cons.
Several officers and employees of the group had been indicted personally since 2006. But this time, it's Total as corporation that is under no faxing pay day loans.
"This decision (of indictment of the Total Group, NDRL) recommence the proceedings," said Master Veil, the lawyer of Total, has told AFP the date of the indictment, and thus confirmed information from the newspaper Les Echos."The judge took this decision against all odds, while his predecessor and the prosecution had held the contrary, at least implicitly," he added, saying the indictment "incomprehensible."
Total will watch his side surprised by this indictment, which "comes eight years after the commencement of the trial, with no new element has been placed on file," according to Les Echos.
Indeed, Serge Tournaire succeeded Xaviere Someone who had requested a non-place for all employees and former employees, and the boss of Total, Christophe de Margerie. In addition, Total said that "the report Volker independent commission of inquiry established by the United Nations had rejected any complaint of corruption."
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