An English court threw out a $1.1bn case Nigeria had brought against Royal Dutch Shell and Eni related to a dispute over the OPL 245 oilfield, a court document showed on Friday, while a related trial in Italy continues.

The Nigerian Government filed the case in 2018 at a commercial court in London alleging payments made by the companies to get the OPL 245 oilfield licence in 2011 were used for kickbacks and bribes.

Justice Christopher Butcher said in his ruling that the High Court “must decline jurisdiction over the action against” Shell and the other defendants. 

The oil companies, former and current executives face corruption charges linked to the Malabu scandal, a 2011 deal involving a Nigerian oil block known as OPL 245.

Officials affected in the scandal have denied wrongdoing.