Italian oil and gas major ENI, the parent company of Nigeria Agip Oil Company, is being probed over suspected corruption linked to the acquisition of Oil Prospecting License, OPL 245 in Nigeria for over a billion dollars. A Milan prosecutor is probing the role of Claudio Descalzi, ENI’s chief executive officer, CEO, his predecessor and another ENI executive over their role in the Italian group’s acquisition, in partnership with Shell, of the rights to OPL 245.

ENI has, however, denied that there was illegal conduct on the acquisition of the oil block, highlighting that it entered into agreements for the acquisition of the block only with the government of Nigeria and Shell. “The entire payment for the issuance of the license to ENI and Shell was made uniquely to the Nigerian government,” said ENI in a statement.