New Delhi: The representatives for billionaire Gautam Adani and his companies reportedly met with officials from the US President Donald Trump’s administration to request the dismissal of criminal charges against Adani in a bribery investigation, according to a Bloomberg News report.
In November, US authorities charged Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, accusing them of paying bribes to win power supply contracts and misleading American investors during fundraising efforts. The Adani Group has denied the accusations, calling them “baseless” and saying it will take “all possible legal steps” to fight the case.
What Is the Bribery Case About?
According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani, and six others paid $265 million in bribes to Indian state officials between 2020 and 2024. These payments were allegedly made to win solar power contracts expected to earn $2 billion in profit over 20 years.
Adding further, the US Securities and SEC has accused Gautam Adani and his nephew of paying large sums in bribes to Indian officials and providing false information about their compliance with anti-bribery regulations during a $750 million bond issuance by Adani Green Energy. When approached by Bloomberg, the Adani Group, the US Department of Justice, and the White House chose not to comment on the matter.
To recall, Gautam Adani has reportedly hired a team of influential lawyers and lobbyists to represent his interests and engage with government officials in the United States, According to sources, one of these meetings took place in March with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, as well as officials from the Department of Justice.