英国石油公司被指控在索马里勘探协议中存在腐败行为

British Oil Firm Accused of Corruption² in Somalia Exploration Deal 英国石油公司被指控在索马里勘探协议中存在腐败行为

LONDON—

A British oil exploration firm has been accused of corrupt¹ payments to government officials in Somalia in return for rights to explore offshore³ for hydrocarbons⁵, a claim the company denies. 

No one knows exactly how much oil and gas lies off Somalia’s coast, but some industry experts estimate the figure at 110 billion barrels.

In 2013, the British start-up firm Soma Oil and Gas signed an agreement with the Somali government to explore for hydrocarbons — the first exploration deal since Somalia plunged⁶ into civil war in the early 1990s.

Soma’s Chief Executive Bob Sheppard told VOA the site offers enough potential — if realized — to kick-start Somalia’s war-ravaged economy.

“So we think we’ve really started the hydrocarbon⁴ regime in Somalia, and ... as a result of that, we hope, with a bit of luck and some patience and commitment, that this Somalia can turn to be one of the major hydrocarbon provinces in East Africa,” Sheppard said.

The deal included what’s known as a "capacity building program" that is intended, Sheppard says, to pay the wages of key personnel, such as geologists⁷.

But a confidential⁸ United Nations monitoring report leaked to the media says Soma paid a half-million dollars to senior Somali officials, including the head of Somalia’s oil ministry⁹.

“We think the allegations are baseless," Sheppard said. "SOMA has always conducted its operations in a lawful¹⁰ and ethical¹¹ manner.” 

Britain’s Serious Fraud Office has launched an investigation¹² into the deal, and Somalia’s government says it is also investigating the claims.

Mogadishu’s oil ministry points out that Soma was the only company willing to take the considerable security risks of exploring for oil off Somalia, one of the world's most unstable¹³ countries.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said this week the country is working to attract further investment.

“Since we came to office, Somalia has been working very hard to attract direct foreign investment in the near future," he said. "To make that dream true, we have been preparing for the legal framework that makes this happen on the ground."

According to a report by Reuters, the U.N. in 2014 "called for a moratorium¹⁴ on any new exploration deals in Somalia, warning such agreements could fuel tensions and potentially spark new conflicts as rivals fight for resources in the fragile Horn of Africa nation."

Soma Oil is chaired by Lord Michael Howard, for leader of the British Conservative Party.

1 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

4 hydrocarbon   

n.烃，碳氢化合物

参考例句：

• During incomplete combustion some of the hydrocarbon fuel is cracked.在不完全的燃烧中，一些烃燃料裂解。
• The hydrocarbon must be an alkene.这个碳氢化合物必定是烯烃。

5 hydrocarbons   

n.碳氢化合物，烃( hydrocarbon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hydrocarbons (HC), like carbon monoxide, represent unburned and wasted fuel. 碳氢化合物(HC)像一氧化碳一样，为未燃尽的和被浪费掉的燃料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• With this restricted frequency range it is not applicable to hydrocarbons. 这个较紧缩的频率范围不适用于烃类。 来自辞典例句

6 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

7 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

8 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

11 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

14 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。