Petronas seeking annulment of arrest warrant against ex-officer in Sudan
Petronas is pursuing the cancellation of a "wrongful" arrest warrant issued against its officer in Sudan.
In a statement, Petronas said the arrest warrant was issued against...
Petronas is pursuing the cancellation of a "wrongful" arrest warrant issued against its officer in Sudan.
In a statement, Petronas said the arrest warrant was issued against an officer in PetroDar Operating Company (PDOC) - a joint-venture company in Sudan.
"(The warrant was issued) relating to trade union claims made against PDOC. PDOC's external counsel is in the process of cancelling the warrant of arrest," Petronas said.
The firm said the matter was not related to ongoing legal proceedings to reclaim the company's property in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.
Petronas has filed for arbitration over this matter with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
According to the Turkish news organisation Daily Sabah, it is claimed that the Sudanese transitional government was looking to seize Petronas property as part of a wider anti-corruption effort following the ouster of Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Malaysians safe
Sudan's Empowerment Removal, Anti-Corruption and Money Retrieving Committee (ERC) has been tasked with reviewing agreements and recovering assets allegedly acquired illegally during the Omar al-Bashir administration.
PetroDar is a British Virgin Island-registered company, with its biggest shareholders being China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Petronas.
Meanwhile, Wisma Putra said in a statement that all Malaysians currently residing and registered with Malaysia's Embassy in Sudan are safe.
It further raised the government's concern on issues surrounding the Petronas' Sudan complex in Khartoum, which also housed the Malaysian Embassy.
"Since the issue surfaced in December 2020, the Foreign Ministry has been working closely with Petronas, including through our embassy in Khartoum, to resolve the matter.
Diplomatic efforts
"To date, the ministry has exerted multiple diplomatic efforts to address the issue, including summoning the Sudanese chargé d'affaires (for the second time) to Wisma Putra today to convey our concern," it said.
The ministry also urged the Sudanese government to honour a bilateral investment promotion and protection treaty currently in force between the two countries.
"Additionally, as the (Petronas) complex also houses the Malaysian Embassy, the Sudanese side is also urged to observe the sanctity of diplomatic premises, as provided for under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961.
"Despite the commencement of arbitration proceedings initiated by Petronas, the ministry remains hopeful for a timely and amicable resolution of the issue, with the view to preserving the longstanding brotherly relations between Malaysia and Sudan," Wisma Putra said.
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