00:01President Denis Sassou Nguessou, who's ruled the oil-rich Republic of Congo for more than four decades across two periods.
00:08On Monday, prosecutors in Norway charged an oil company and two of its executives for allegedly paying millions of dollars in bribes to him and his family.
00:17Norwegian police say an investigation was launched after their counterparts in Monaco sought legal assistance related to a suspicious bank transaction.
00:25They say the bulk of the around $25 million was offered to the president and his family in 2016 when the Norway-based oil group applied for an offshore license.
00:36The company concerned, Hemla Africa Holding, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian group Petronor.
00:42And Sassou Nguessou's family control the Congolese company MGI International, which owned 25% of the local company Hemla E&P Congo, which was granted the license.
00:53Prosecutors say the two Norwegian executives ensured that dividends were regularly paid from Hemla Congo to MGI up to and including 2024.
01:03Petronor has denied the allegations.
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