Erik Solheim critical about US’s indictment of Gautam Adani

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Erik Solheim, the former Norwegian politician, peace negotiator, advisor to green businesses and international guest speaker on environment and development, has criticised the indictment by U.S. authorities on Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, for his conglomerate’s alleged role in a $265 million bribery scheme.

This news sent shockwaves across the world last week while the Adani Group denied the allegations.

Erik Solheim, who had been the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme between May 2016 and November 2018 has chosen to criticise the US authorities by writing a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter) titled: ‘When will American overreach stop??’- with a double question mark.

Erik Solheim’s post on X is quoted below.

“The last week global media have been full of stories about indictment against the Adani Group by an American prosecutor.”

“It is time the world started asking when American overreach would stop?  Let’s turn the table for a second and assume that an Indian court charged top American business executives for crimes allegedly done in the US. Would this be acceptable to America? Would American media find it appropriate?”

“It is now clear that the accusations are not against the top Adani leaders; Gautam and Sagar Adani [the millennium scion of the Group]. Nor is there evidence that bribes were paid by Adani executives to Indian government officials. The indictment solely rests on claims that bribes were promised or discussed.”

“This American overreach has serious consequences for people’s lives. It makes it harder for one of India’s economic power houses to finance its operations. It forces the Adani Group to spend time and resources in court rather than building solar and wind plants. It simply slows down the green transformation of India. It’s time to put a stop to American overreach!” the post said.

A few days before the parliamentary election in Sri Lanka, Solheim, via a post on X, had predicted a landslide victory for Sri Lanka’s NPP led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and said that the mandate would be given for deep reforms.

“Sri Lanka is incredibly beautiful with fantastic natural assets. Establishing a green economy in tourism, protection of mangroves, forestry and renewable energy would be one of these key reforms,’ he said in that post.

Solheim was the sixth among former UN Environment Executive Directors and Under-Secretaries-General of the United Nations.

The Adani Group and John Keells Holdings PLC are jointly developing the West Container Terminal (WTC) at the Colombo Port.

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General in October 2024 informed the Supreme Court that the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to reconsider matters related to the wind power project in Mannar by Adani Green Energy.