By NOEL MURPHY
THE new owner of Geelong’s Shell refinery has been linked to controversial deals with a Serbian war criminal and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
International media reports also reveal that Swiss-based Vitol sold Iranian oil to China and claim it dealt with Libyan rebels.
Vitol, the world’s largest independent energy trader, has bought Shell Australian assets in a $2.9 billion deal set to save the Corio refinery’s 600 jobs.
Vitol has been involved in in high-profile controversies since 2001 when it reportedly paid one million pounds to Serbian war criminal Arkan to fix a soured oil deal with the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. Vitol denied undertaking any illegal conduct in the transaction.
Other reports reveal that Vitol pleaded guilty in 2007 to paying surcharges to Iraq’s national oil company during Saddam Hussein’s regime, undermining an UN oil-for-food program in Iraq. The company paid fines, restitution and costs totalling $17.5 million.
In 2012 Vitol reportedly admitted buying and selling Iranian oil in a deal with China, although its Swiss status allowed the company to avoid breaches of sanctions against Iran. Vitol said it had since ended sales deals with Iran.
Scottish reports last year said Vitol provided fuel to rebels and sold raw product from them during the Libyan conflict.
The deals allegedly involved UK Foreign Office officials and International Development Minister Alan Duncan, a former friend and colleague of Vitol boss Ian Taylor.
Australian Workers Union state secretary Ben Davis said the reports were “obviously of concern”.
“These appear to be credible media reports,” he said.
“We’re keen to talk to Vitol directly about its plans for the Shell site. At this stage it all seems very good news for the future of the Corio refinery but obviously we want to keep a very close eye on things.”
Vitol Australian spokesman Greg Baxter dismissed the Scottish reports.
“You would be aware that the Herald in Scotland is a rabidly nationalist newspaper and that this is what generated and motivated its coverage,” he said.
“The nationalist-versus-union debate in the UK has become intensely polarising but it doesn’t have any relevance here as far as we can tell.”
