The finance chief of Adani Group has rejected U.S. allegations that executives, including Chairman Gautam Adani, were part of a $265 million bribery scheme, according to a report by Reuters.
U.S. authorities accused Adani, his nephew and executive director Sagar Adani as well as the managing director of Adani Green, Vneet S. Jaain, of being part of a scheme to pay bribes of to secure Indian solar power supply contracts.
"We reject all of this strongly on behalf of the individuals," Adani Group CFO Jugeshinder Singh told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.
"We know for sure, 100 per cent, that nothing of this sort happened. If we were paying that amount of cash to someone I would certainly know, so we know nothing happened," Singh said.
Singh reportedly said the group would not be taking any action on the U.S. indictment but that the accused individuals would clarify on the allegations over the next 10 days after seeking legal advice.
President William Ruto cancelled two major deals involving Adani, soon after the tycoon was indicted.
Ruto said the deals had been cancelled based on "new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations.".
"In the face of undisputed evidence or credible information on corruption, I will not hesitate to take decisive action," said Ruto in State of the Nation Address.
The Adani Group was set to invest in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in exchange for a contract to run it for 30 years, as well as in the Energy ministry to construct power lines.
Under the airport proposal, the upgrades would involve a new runway and an improved passenger terminal.
India's foreign ministry, in the country's first official reaction to Adani's indictment, said on Friday that bribery allegations against the billionaire was a legal issue between private companies and the U.S. Department of Justice and that New Delhi has not received any request on the case from Washington.
"This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the U.S. Department of Justice," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a weekly media briefing.
