Former Norwegian Minister Erik Solheim Criticises US 'Overreach' In Adani Case

Former Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment, Erik Solheim, has questioned the US indictment on Adani group associates, emphasising on implications of American legal actions in global business affairs.

"When will American overreach stop?? The last week, global media have been full of stories about indictment against the Adani Group by an American Prosecutor...Let’s turn the table for a second and assume that an Indian Court charged top American business executives for crimes allegedly done in the US. Would this be acceptable to America? Would American media find it appropriate?" he said in a statement on social media platform X.

It is now clear that the accusations are not against the top Adani leaders, Gautam and Sagar Adani. Nor is there evidence that bribes were paid by Adani executives to Indian government officials, he said.

"The indictment solely rests on claims that bribes were promised or discussed. This American overreach has serious consequences for people's lives. It makes it harder for one of India’s economic powerhouses to finance its operations. It forces the Adani Group to spend time and resources in court rather than building solar and wind plants. It simply slows down the green transformation of India," he said.

The US Department of Justice recently filed an indictment against three executives of the Adani Group. They are accused of being part of an alleged scheme to pay $265 million in bribes to Indian officials in exchange for lucrative contracts related to solar energy projects, which were projected to generate significant profits over a 20-year period.

However, Adani Green Energy Ltd., the group unit at the center of the allegations, has strongly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement issued to the stock exchange, the company clarified that neither Gautam Adani nor Sagar Adani had been charged with violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The company asserted that reports suggesting the Adani leaders had been directly implicated were "incorrect."

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