Perenco under Investigation for Corruption in African Countries

The French-British oil and gas company Perenco is the target of several preliminary investigations opened in France for corruption of foreign public officials, particularly in African countries where it operates, according to sources close to the investigation.

As part of these procedures, the Parisian offices of the company were searched by investigators from the Central Office for the Fight against Financial and Fiscal Infractions (Oclciff), who are in charge of the investigations, these sources confirmed, corroborating information from Challenges.

The sources, however, did not specify the number of investigations opened, their opening dates, the countries targeted, and the date of the search.

Contacted by AFP, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) declined to comment.

“Perenco confirms that it cooperated with the investigating authorities in February 2022, which the group did with pleasure. Perenco has had no other contact in this case since,” the group said, reached by AFP at its London headquarters.

Present in 15 foreign countries, with 6,000 employees and approximately 500,000 barrels/day declared, Perenco has counted among its top executives Jean-Michel Runacher, father of the current Minister of Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

It is the only company operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where its subsidiaries operate 11 oil fields on the Muanda offshore coastline.

Not listed on the stock exchange and founded by the Breton entrepreneur Hubert Perrodo, the company made his family the 15th largest fortune in France, according to the 2022 ranking of Challenges magazine.

In early November, the two French NGOs Les Amis de la Terre and Sherpa sued the company to obtain its condemnation for the environmental damage caused by its drilling in the DRC.

Perenco has operations in three other African countries, Gabon, Congo, and Cameroon.