Adani’s legal battle: US bribery charges could spark complex multi-jurisdictional defence
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The US indictment of billionaire Gautam Adani in a $250 million bribery case could set the stage for a lengthy legal process involving a multi-jurisdictional defence.
The legal process in the US would begin with an arraignment, where the charges would be formally read, followed by a discovery phase and pre-trial motions, explained Ravi Prakash, a securities law counsel from Delhi. “If no plea agreement is reached, the case proceeds to trial, where evidence is presented, witnesses cross-examined, and the jury delivers a verdict."
Prakash added that Adani could invoke international legal principles to argue that the allegations should be investigated under Indian law, possibly with US assistance, under treaties like the UN Convention Against Corruption.
US prosecutors have indicted Adani and seven others on charges of bribing Indian government officials to secure solar energy supply contracts for Adani Green Energy Ltd and Azure Power Global Ltd, which was previously listed on the New York Stock Exchange. While Adani group has denied the allegations and said it will take suitable legal action, Reuters reported that arrest warrants have been issued for Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani—the chairman and executive director, respectively, of Adani Green Energy.
According to lawyers, Gautam Adani now has two immediate options before him to counter the allegations: seek bail in a US trial court and mount a multi-jurisdictional defence against the allegations. Also read | Adani bribery case: whistleblowers, WhatsApp texts, and ‘incentives’ The bribery charges against Gautam Adani by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) related to actions taken
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