DEME acquittal in Russian bribery case becomes final
The acquittal of Belgian dredging group DEME in a major bribery case linked to dredging works in the Russian port of Sabetta is now final, after prosecutors decided not to appeal. The Ghent Court of Appeal ruled at the end of February that all defendants should be acquitted due to lack of evidence, and the public prosecutor’s office has not lodged an appeal in cassation.
The case centred on the award of a contract for dredging works in Sabetta, home to one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas terminals, on the Yamal Peninsula in northern Russia. Russia’s ministry of transport had awarded the broader project to USK Most, while DEME and Jan De Nul submitted bids in 2013 for dredging works scheduled between 2014 and 2017.
DEME ultimately secured the contract through its Russian joint venture Mordraga, while Jan De Nul was unsuccessful. The latter subsequently raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest involving an intermediary. An investigation by the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office began in 2016 following a criminal complaint by Jan De Nul, which included emails presented as evidence, although the company did not clarify how these had been obtained.
Inadmissible evidence
In September 2024, the Ghent Criminal Court ruled that the proceedings were inadmissible due to a violation of the right to a fair trial. The court found that key emails had been obtained unlawfully and could not be included in the case file. All defendants were acquitted at that stage, but the public prosecutor’s office appealed the ruling.
On 24 February, the court of appeal found the proceedings admissible but again acquitted all defendants due to lack of evidence. Prosecutors had sought a forfeiture order of 12.6 million euros and a fine of 600,000 euros. However, the court ruled that the charges had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt. The only remaining option was an appeal to the Court of Cassation, but the public prosecutor’s office has decided not to pursue the case further.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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