Authorities French on Friday launched an investigation into multinational TotalEnergies for allegedly failing to protect its subcontractors and omitting to help after a terrorist attack.
The indictment against the oil company was submitted on October 2023This was two years after the case that prompted the complaint. In March 2021, an Islamic State attack near the company's facilities left a trail of deaths and destruction. Survivors and relatives of the victims filed a lawsuit in France against TotalEnergies for failing to help the victims and omitting to come to their aid.
According to Le MondeThe Nanterre prosecutor's office said that the investigation process began on Friday. The Nanterre prosecutor's office had already moved ahead with a preliminary investigation, according to the francetvinfo.
The group of complainants worked on the TotalEnergies megaproject on the Afungi Peninsula in Palma.
In October 2023, there was no immediate reaction from TotalEnergies. In a statement released at the time the complaint was filed in 2023, the company had "strongly rejected these accusations".
It should be remembered that in April 2021, TotalEnergies evoked "Force Majeure" and suspended the project, also creating a window in which to seek financing, as the partners backed out due to environmental issues.
This week, one of the financiers, Exim Bank of the United States, approved the loan of five billion dollars for the estimated 20 billion dollar project.
TotalEnergies has a 26.5% stake in the project, which aims to export liquefied natural gas, mainly to customers in Asia.
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