Monaco authorities raided the offices of Unaoil, an energy services company, and the homes of its directors after Britain asked for help investigating alleged corruption in the global oil industry. Monaco's government said on its website that it acted after receiving an urgent request for international judicial assistance in criminal matters from Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Unaoil directors were questioned by Monaco police on Tuesday and Wednesday, the government said.
A joint report by Australia's Fairfax Media and the Huffington Post reported that the US Department of Justice and anti-corruption police in Britain and Australia had launched a joint investigation into the activities of Unaoil. Monaco-based Unaoil provides industrial solutions to the energy sector in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, according to its website.
"Due to recent developments it would be inappropriate for the company to comment at this time," a Unaoil spokesman said in an emailed statement. The chairman of Unaoil Group, Ata Ahsani, could not be reached for comment. The media reports, citing hundreds of thousands of emails, also link several multinationals to corrupt practices including claims of bribery and rigging contracts to win oil contracts in countries such as Kazakhstan and Iraq. Italian oil major Eni, one of the companies mentioned in the report, indicated that it would hold an internal inquiry into the allegations.