Adani controversy
– Photo: amarujala.com
Expansion
Kenyan President William Ruto said on Thursday that he has ordered the cancellation of the agreement with Adani Group, under which control of the country’s main airport was to be handed over to the Indian group. Kenya took this decision after the company’s founder was indicted in America.
Ruto said he has also directed the Energy Ministry to cancel a $736 million public-private partnership agreement, which had a 30-year term, with an Adani Group unit last month to build power distribution lines.
“I have directed the agencies of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement process,” Ruto said in his address to the nation. He attributed the decision to “new information provided by investigative agencies and partner countries.”
Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest men, and seven other defendants had agreed to pay nearly $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials, US officials said on Wednesday. However, Adani Group denied the allegations and said in a statement that it would explore “all possible legal remedies”. Earlier on Thursday, Energy Minister Opio Wandayi had said that there was no bribery or corruption involved in the transmission lines contracts.