(Bloomberg) -- Commodity trading giant Vitol Group is being investigated by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service for its activities in Kazakhstan, the latest legal worry for the world’s largest independent oil trader.
“Vitol has been contacted by a Dutch authority regarding certain historic activities in Kazakhstan. We will of course cooperate with any inquiry,” a spokesperson for the company said.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service confirmed the investigation but declined to give any further details.
The probe follows a spate of recent legal run-ins for Vitol in the US. This week, former Vitol oil trader Javier Aguilar pleaded guilty to charges of bribing Mexican and Ecuadorian officials. In 2020, the firm agreed to a $160 million settlement with the US Justice Department over allegations that it paid bribes in three countries.
Vitol has been established in Kazakhstan for many years, entering into sizable deals for crude oil.
News of the investigation was first reported by the publication Follow The Money.
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