TNK-BP CEO complains to Russian government
The banned chief executive of BP's Russian oil venture TNK-BP has lodged an official complaint with Russian authorities over treatment of the firm in a letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters on Friday.
Halfords CEO resignsA Moscow court last week banned Robert Dudley from working in Russia for two years. The move was the latest blow to hit the troubled firm, whose four Russia-connected billionaire shareholders owning half of the company are at loggerheads with BP, which owns the other half, over management and strategy.
"There has been an abuse of power by the State Labour Inspectorate," Dudley wrote in the letter dated August 19.
It was sent to five governmental bodies including the anti-corruption council, the labour inspectorate, general prosecutor's office and state security service FSB, the successor to the KGB.
Dudley says seven inspections carried out at the firm "when there is a developing corporate conflict between the Russian and foreign shareholders over a short period of time" indicates the inspectorate was interested in the outcome.
TNK-BP, which produces a quarter of BP's global output, has been deluged with a wave of tax, labour and police inspections, several lawsuits and visa problems.
BP has accused the four Soviet-born partners of using corporate raider tactics to seize control, but the Russian side says it just wants to improve performance.
The four accused BP-backed Dudley of poor performance and of showing favouritism to BP. U.S. citizen Dudley left Russia in July citing harassment before he was banned.
The labour inspectorate rebuffed Dudley's claims of bias.
"All the checks that took place at the firm were done by the law," head of the organisation Mikhail Malyuga told Reuters.
Problems at TNK-BP, which have intensified throughout the year, are seen by market spectators as a test for Russia's investment case.
Analysts have said repeated inspections and Dudley's ban mean a state-controlled giant, such as Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom or oil major Rosneft, could be eyeing TNK-BP as Russia tightens its grip on the country's strategic energy sector.
"The unambiguous conclusion is that the said officials were carrying out somebody's orders, and we request that this be investigated," Dudley said.
(Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman and Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Jason Neely)
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