Royal Dutch Shell plc today made the following statement in response to the decision by the Judge of the Preliminary Hearing of the Tribunal of Milan in Italy to remand the company for trial for alleged offences related to Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245 in Nigeria:

“We are disappointed by the outcome of the preliminary hearing and the decision to indict Shell and its former employees.  We believe the trial judges will conclude that there is no case against Shell or its former employees.

“Shell attaches the greatest importance to business integrity. It’s one of our core values and is a central tenet of the Business Principles that govern the way we do business. Shell has clear rules on anti-bribery and corruption and these are included in our Code of Conduct for all staff. There is no place for bribery or corruption in our company.”