Sweden to interrogate oil firm over human rights violation in South Sudan

October 18, 2018 (LONDON) – The Swedish centre-left government Thursday approved the prosecutor’s application to question Lundin Petroleum’s chairman, Ian Lundin, and CEO, Alex Schneiter, for gross human rights violations in South Sudan.

In 2010, Swedish prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation into Lundin Petroleum’s activities in Sudan and South Sudan after a report by the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan (ECOS) said the company was possibly complicit in human rights abuses in Block 5A between 1997 and 2003.

The prosecutor needs permission from the government to prosecute offences committed abroad by foreign nationals. In this case, there are suspicions against a Swedish citizen and a Swiss citizen.

Justice Minister Morgan Johansson welcomed the process due to the serious allegations as he said.

“The case of a serious suspicion of a crime, and there is also a clear link to Sweden,” says Johansson.

Alex Schneiter, Lundin’s chief executive who was head of exploration at the time, and Ian Lundin, the company’s chairman and son of its founder, have been suspects since 2016 when they were interviewed by prosecutors.

Lundin Petroleum has been accused of aggravating the conflict with his presence. Among other things, it is argued that government forces used infrastructure that the company built for attacks that affected the civilian population on a large scale.

The punishment of gross human rights violations can lead to life imprisonment. But no date has been yet determined.

Reuters reported that it may take place by the end of the year.

But the two suspects seem confident as they do not expect to be prosecuted.

“Personally, I am convinced the investigation will not lead to prosecution,” Lundin Petroleum chairman Ian Lundin told the daily newspaper Dagens Industri on Friday.

“There are no grounds for the allegations,” he said, adding that he had repeatedly asked the prosecutor to have an opportunity to answer his questions.

Also, Lundin condemned the government agreement approval for the investigation of its leading members.

“We find it unacceptable that the prosecution Department has approved this application from the prosecutor to continue the case,” says Robert Eriksson, Press Officer of Lundin Petroleum.

“We remain convinced that there are no grounds for any allegations of wrongdoing against any representative of Lundin,” he further said.

Shares in Lundin fell 2.5 per cent on Thursday, according to the Financial Times.

Lundin Oil is no longer operating in South Sudan. The Swedish oil firm sold its assets to Canada’s Talisman Energy in 2001 while the rest of the company continued to operate under the new name Lundin Petroleum.

(ST)