MILAN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Italian tax police searched the
Milan offices of three managers at Eni ENI.MI on Thursday to
widen an investigation into suspected obstruction of justice by
officials at the Italian oil group, two sources said.
The inquiry is still in an early phase and has been
overshadowed by an ongoing corruption trial centering on the
2011 purchase of a Nigerian oilfield by Eni and oil major Royal
Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L .
Milan prosecutors opened the obstruction case in 2018 to
investigate whether in 2015 and 2016 Eni officials had sought to
discredit two independent board members who later became
witnesses in the Nigeria case. On Thursday tax police searched the offices of Claudio
Granata, chief services and stakeholder relations officer;
Michele Bianco, executive vice president of legal affairs; and
Alfio Rapisarda, senior vice president of security, the sources
said.
Eni, which itself is under investigation, said it was
confident the prosecutors' inquiries would show it was
extraneous to the whole matter.
"Eni reiterates its firm view it was an offended party," the
company said.
Prosecutors have not laid any charges against Eni officials
or the group itself and their investigation may not lead to
charges.
Thursday's searches were carried out in relation to alleged
attempts to convince a former Eni manager to withdraw some
statements he made during investigations into the Nigerian
corruption case.
Italy widens probe into alleged obstruction in Nigeria graft
case officials tried to tamper with witness in Nigeria case -
prosecutor ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>