Yara defendant denies guilt – Dagsavisen

Yara defendant denies guilt – Dagsavisen

Domestic

All four accused in Norway’s largest corruption case denied culpability when Yara case came up in the Oslo District Court Monday.

One by one declared Enger, Tor Holba, American Kendrick Taylor Wallace and French Daniel Clauw Roger himself innocent when the trial against them started Monday morning. All are accused of gross corruption linked to the fertilizer producer Yara’s operations in Libya and India at the end of the 2000s.

All four sat in corporate management when the offenses allegedly occurred .

While all according Økokrim has been involved and complicit in corruption in Libya, was Holba not involved in India, according to the indictment. Økokrim will include lead reports from executive management meets regularly as evidence that Libya- and India engagement were discussed.

Agreements on bribery

– We believe we could prove that it was entered into agreements for bribes, said senior public prosecutor Marianne Djupesland Økokrim when she held his keynote speech.

Overall it should have been concluded agreements on illicit payments of over $ 8,000,000, equivalent to about 56 million by today’s dollar exchange rate, to officials of the two countries. Only part of these amounts were actually paid, it goes forward by indictment.

It seems primarily to have been Wallace and Clauw as two completely separate processes have negotiated creation two joint companies in Libya and India, and that in that context was made agreements on illegal transfers.

How Økokrim see it, was CEO Enger completely understand the transactions, which was made via a variety of accounts and companies in Switzerland and tax haven British Virgin Islands.

Yara adopted rekordbot

Upper penalty for gross corruption are ten years in prison. But the amounts in Yara case is relatively modest compared with other corruption cases. Therefore it is unlikely that the final sentencing – if the court pronounces verdict – according to estimates corruption expert Petter Gotschalk BI makes Aftenposten.

– I can say at once that in this case is probably not someone sentenced to more than two years, he says the newspaper.

Yara has already accepted a fine of 295 million of gross corruption in the two countries in addition to Russia, and acknowledged that it paid bribes over 70 million.

This is the largest fine ever given to a Norwegian company. (NTB)