According to information provided to Aftonbladet have Lundin Petroleum chairman Ian Lundin and managing director Alex Schneiter served on suspicion of serious crimes, on the basis of the oil company’s actions in Sudan.
Common to be served suspicion"
Robert Eriksson, the company’s press officer says to Aftonbladet:
” We can confirm that Ian Lundin and Alex Schneiter last week met with prosecutors and was then notified of the suspicion which is the basis for the prosecutor’s interviews. It is a part of the ongoing investigation.
Eriksson continues:
– It is common in a Swedish preliminary investigation of notified suspected when you meet the prosecutor. It does not mean that there will be a prosecution. We are fully confident that there are no grounds for any allegations of misconduct of representatives of Lundin. SEE ALSO Sydsudaneser requires: Set the Lundin to justice
Suspected of having caused the death
the Company, formerly known as Lundin Oil, suspected to between 1997-2003 have committed crimes, by, inter alia, have given financial support to the military during the civil war drove away the population that lived in the area, referred to as “block 5A”, where the company wanted to have their business.
Around 12 000 people have been killed and 160 000 people have been displaced from the “block 5A”, according to the report Unpaid dept from 2010, which was the basis for the international prosecution chamber in Stockholm, started the criminal investigation against Lundin Petroleum.
Aftonbladet has previously been able to uncover documents showing that the company wanted to pay a notorious warlord to run away, the civilian population – something which the company denies.
Look no suspicions that trouble
According to Eriksson, the man from Lundin Petroleum’s page a long time tried to be heard in the legal process.
– It is very good that we finally got the opportunity to meet the prosecutor.
Ian Lundin is submitted, the suspicion of serious crimes, do you not see it as a problem?
” No, actually, we see it as something very positive that Ian Lundin has had the opportunity to meet the prosecutor. It is an investigation which is in its seventh year, so it has been going on for a long time. We have for several years been at the prosecutor and asked to be given a chance for Ian Lundin to meet with the prosecutor and give their picture of the activities that we had in the Sudan until 2003.
No changes in the board of directors
Will any changes in the management of the company take place because of this?
” No. It is an ongoing investigation and there are several different outcomes in the. The fact that Ian Lundin served with the suspicion leads to no changes in the company.
How does he on that he suspected for a very serious crime?
– That said, there is an ongoing investigation, so I cannot comment on what charges related. How he looks at it for yourself, I find it difficult to answer, but I can only say that from our side, so we see it as a natural part of the ongoing investigation. There is nothing that means that it will lead to prosecution.
How to see the management that the risk to the prosecution of serious crimes are?
– When it comes to the legal process and its time you get to ask the questions to the prosecution. SEE ALSO Aftonbladet in south Sudan: "the Warlord would get paid to drive away the civilian population"
"the Owners support company"
the company Will take any action as a result of that suspicion now ärn official?
” No, the company’s board of directors has the full support of the company’s management and there are no reasons to take action on the grounds that it served with the suspicion in a criminal investigation.
What say all of the shareholders and others who have interest in the company?
” We have strong owners who support the company and we have been very keen to keep them informed, be open and transparent, both in terms of the information we have about the investigation about the historical events in the Sudan up to 2003, and other information about the company.
There are a group of people representing the population from the “block 5A” in Sudan, which appeal to Lundin Petroleum will provide financial compensation to those affected by the operations in the Sudan. How answer you that?
– There is an ongoing investigation and we cannot comment in detail. We are convinced that there are no grounds for the allegations and that the investigation, which hopefully is in its final stage will show, in more detail than we can not comment. We will continue to cooperate with the prosecutor, as we have done since 2010.
the Prosecutor, Magnus Elving, who is leading the investigation at the International prosecution chamber in Stockholm, answer short:
– You may come back later, I have to think about what my comment to this will be.