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An Italian court has approved the prosecution of Royal Dutch Shell and Eni in the $1.3 billion controversial sale of OPL 245 oil block.
The judge in Milan ordered that Claudio Descalzi, an Eni executive, and his predecessor, Paolo Scaroni, should be tried for their role in the deal.
According to Italian media, the trial is expected to commence on March 5, 2018.
Italian prosecutors had earlier indicted Shell and Agip for their role in the 2011 deal in which Nigeria sold the lucrative oil block to the two oil majors.
Shell and Eni’s Nigerian subsidiary, Agip, are among those already being prosecuted in Nigeria.
In a prompt reaction to the judge’s decision, Shell said it was shocked.