Indian conglomerate Adani Group has dismissed bribery allegations leveled against its directors in the United States as baseless.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 21, the company’s spokesperson affirmed Adani’s commitment to defending itself through all available legal avenues.
“The allegations made by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied,” the statement read.
Quoting the U.S. Department of Justice, the spokesperson added, “The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
The Adani Group emphasized its adherence to legal and regulatory frameworks across its operations, assuring stakeholders of its integrity.
“The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency, and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners, and employees that we are a law-abiding organization, fully compliant with all laws,” the statement added.
The denial follows reports from U.S. media outlets that Adani founder Gautam Adani and other directors have been indicted in a New York court over a multi-billion-dollar bribery scheme. The directors are accused of paying USD 250 million (approximately Ksh32 billion) to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts and subsequently concealing the transactions to raise funds in the U.S.
Despite the controversy, Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has confirmed that the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) will proceed with its Ksh95 billion deal with Adani Energy Solutions to construct and operate power transmission lines.
Speaking before a Parliamentary committee on Thursday, Wandayi explained that due diligence conducted by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Directorate and KETRACO revealed no adverse findings against Adani Energy Solutions.
“The PPP Directorate, in coordination with KETRACO, conducted a due diligence exercise on Adani Energy Solutions. We had no knowledge of any adverse matters that could have come to light. Therefore, we are proceeding on the basis of the legal due diligence conducted by the contracting authority, in line with the law,” Wandayi stated.
