Chevron Corp went to [US] federal court…seeking to force an Ecuadorean bank to release records of alleged bribes the company says were paid to an independent expert in a multi-billion dollar environmental lawsuit against the oil company. The company is seeking records of eight bank accounts…that Chevron says was a conduit for $360,000 in "illicit payments" to the independent expert, Richard Cabrera. Cabrera was appointed by a court in Ecuador to examine oil exploration pits environmental groups say caused massive pollution to the surrounding rain forest and sickened indigenous residents. Chevron was sentenced by a court in Ecuador to pay $18 billion for environmental damages…A lawyer for the bank argued that the request, if granted, would violate banking confidentiality laws in Ecuador and could result in the bank facing civil and criminal penalties.