Bailiffs have raided the offices of Britain’s BP oil company in Moscow, seeking documents on its failed deal with Rosneft.
“Our office’s work is paralyzed. None of the employees are in the office today, and are unlikely to be in the office for the rest of the week,” BP Russia President Jeremy Huck, said in Moscow.
“So, we can only see these actions as being part of a pressure campaign against BP’s business in Russia.”
The search came less than a day after Rosneft and Exxon Mobil agreed an Arctic exploration deal that analysts say should effectively replace a now defunct BP accord.
The bailiffs said the raid was conducted in line with a ruling by an arbitration court in the Siberian region of Tyumen, which is hearing a case over the Rosneft deal that collapsed in May.
In London, BP confirmed the raid, and said there was no “legitimate basis” for the court case against BP.
compiled from agency reports