French. oil giant corruption probe ends

French judges today ended an eight-year probe into an alleged kickback scheme at former state-owned oil giant Elf Aquitaine, implicating more than 40 people in a web of corruption that reached into Africa.

Those named by Investigative judges Eva Joly and Renaud Van Ruymbeke have 20 days to respond to allegations linking them to the former company’s attempts to buy influence.