BENGALURU, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by U.S. prosecutors for his alleged role in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials, sending shockwaves across his eponymous ports-to-soybeans business conglomerate.
Here is what you need to know about the U.S. indictment.
THE MAJOR U.S. INDICTMENT
Gautam Adani, one of world’s richest people, faces his biggest challenge after being charged with seven others for alleged bribery related to power supply deals from energy projects in India, with U.S. authorities calling it “The Corrupt Solar Project”.
Adani Group, which runs several key infrastructure projects across the globe, says the allegations are baseless and has vowed to seek “all possible legal recourse”.
The group’s CFO has said the indictment is linked to one Adani Green Energy contract that makes up some 10% of the unit’s business.
There is also a growing spotlight on Sagar Adani, a millennial scion of the company who kept track of hundreds of millions of dollars of alleged bribes to Indian officials, in notes the prosecutors described as “bribe notes”.
The alleged bribes caught the attention of U.S. authorities when Adani’s companies were raising funds from U.S.-based investors in transactions starting in 2021.
DISCLOSURE ISSUES, STOCK ROUT AND FALLOUT
The scandal has also raised concerns about market and public disclosure lapses by Adani Group, with prosecutors alleging the company issued false statements earlier this year related to its knowledge of the U.S. investigation.
The U.S. indictment has kept Adani Group’s debt and equity under pressure. Its dollar bond prices have fallen to almost a one-year low.
The indictment appears to now have ramifications across the globe, including news that some bankers are considering pausing fresh lending to the group.
Kenya has ordered the cancellation of Adani infrastructure deals worth over $2.5 billion and a U.S. development agency is ‘assessing ramifications’ on a Sri Lanka Adani port project it had agreed to finance.
In Bangladesh, a government panel has sought legal help for its investigation of power deals including one with Adani.
Back in India, opposition parties have demanded a probe into allegations of wrongdoing and said they would raise the issue in parliament.
WHAT NEXT FOR ADANI, LEGAL OPTIONS
A key question is what is next for Gautam Adani? He is charged with foreign bribery, securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.
Adani has not been arrested and his whereabouts are unknown, though he is believed to be in India.
A trial could still be a long way off, even if Adani is extradited or surrenders in the U.S.
If convicted, Adani could face decades in prison as well as monetary penalties, though any sentence would ultimately be up to the judge overseeing the case.
For now, Adani has to answer U.S. SEC allegations within 21 days, a court directive states.
