Request the Board of Eni the compliance of the Code of Ethics
Every year the “whistleblower” gains more importance in the context
of corporate reputation and business continuity. The expression no longer brings something pejorative and the complaint is no longer
labeled as a “stool pigeon”. Now the whistleblower has a more noble,
laudable and exemplary function: to preserve the name, image, reputation
and patrimony of the companies! On the other hand, all of the
Stakeholders should pay more attention on the retaliations against those
who were motivated by the companies, encouraged and protected by the
Code of Ethics to present some kind of concern or even complaint.
Paradoxically, it must not be allowed to the companies to kill their
own whistleblower! It is not today that the companies kill the
whistleblowers. The most famous cases – which including have been a
cover of the renowned US magazine "Time" in the special issue "Persons
of the Year" - are the WorldCom (Ms. Cynthia Cooper), FBI (Ms. Coleen Rowley) and Enron (Ms. Sherron Watkins).
Undoubtedly, many people in the four corners of the planet, when they face misconduct and disconformities according to the Code of Ethics of their companies, they keep silent for fear of suffering some type of retaliation. Many others are victims of their own denunciations, however for fear of jeopardizing their professional careers they don’t take the case any further. Instead, they get a new job and continue with their lives.
This was the case of Douglas Linares Flinto, founder and CEO of the Brazilian Business Ethics Institute.
My story with the Italian giant and one of the largest companies of the planet began back in 2001 when I was an executive of Eni's
Brazilian subsidiary and temporarily took over the main sales
management of Agip Brazil. There, I received complaints of
irregularities involving conflicts of interests, internal corruption,
fraud, and even emission of "cold invoices". Respecting the
determinations of Eni's Code of Ethics,
I reported the misconducts and nonconformities with the words and
spirit of the code, that as the company declares, is the guideline for
all the six-legged dog's actions.
On the following weeks, little happened and I ended up getting fired.
After invoking Agip Brazil's Committee of Ethics, I got an answer from
the Brazilian operation saying that my resignation happened due to an
"administrative and organizational restructuring" and not because of a
"retaliation", as I stated.
It was evident that the millionaire scheme that I had reported had
metastasized throughout the company, and in Agip Brazil's backstage, the
top management, in collusion, ran the illegalities and illegal
activities practiced in Eni's Brazilian subsidiary.
So I decided to write to the Board of Eni and to the company's main shareholders, including to the main one, the Italian Government. The PwC,
which at that time was the auditing firm hired by Eni, also received a
copy of the new corresponding item. It's the Board of Directors the
highest authority inside and outside the company walls, the embodiment
of the "Corporate Governance" and the "Big Boss" of all the executives,
including the CEO. Besides, the Board is responsible for ensuring the
Code of Ethics. Above all, it is the "Guardian of Ethics"!
The resignations at Agip Brazil continued until it reached the
commercial management. A few months later, Eni announced to the market
the sale of all the Brazilian assets to the state oil company Petrobras, currently involved in the largest corruption scandal in Brazil.
However, no contact was ever made with me, and Eni never answered any
of my mails! On the contrary, after killing the "whistleblower" in
Brazil, the company tried to do the same thing in Italy!
In 2010, Eni decided to file a civil action in the Court of Rome against me and the Brazilian Business Ethics Institute - an institution I founded in 2003 to promote Ethics in the business and student world - demanding an indemnity of 30 million Euros for damage caused by my libel or slander.
In this action, oddly enough, Eni states that all the facts alleged
by me are untrue and that, in fact, the company made an undercover
investigation in Brazil to ascertain any damage. And I, for not
collaborating, ceased the trusting relationship, resulting in my
resignation.
Instead of Eni accepting its mistakes, ascertain its faults, enhance
controls and honor its own Code of Ethics, the company chose to hide
behind a "frivolous lawsuit" in an attempt to intimidate and silence me,
and leave under the carpet the ills of its managements.
Fortunately, in late 2014, the judge ruled Eni's lawsuit as "groundless". The company didn't accept my proposal agreement, but preferred to appeal to the sentence.
I became a victim of my own report! Eni destroyed my professional
career when it put me on the "black list" of all the companies operating
in my country. And there's more! Eni is also responsible for the loss
of my retirement.
Now my 15 years story against the Italian giant Eni was published in
an investigative book written by two Italian journalists (Andrea Greco
and Giuseppe Oddo). This book is called The Parallel State: The first investigation on the Eni.
Despite everything, I will continue, until my last breath, with my
personal quest to rescue and restore my name, my honor, my image and my
reputation unfairly depreciated by the six-legged dog.
If I regret anything? Not at all! I would do it all over again. Why? The answer is simple: Ethics is always worth it!
My fight against a giant continues!
Please. Sign the petition in this LINK. Thank your so much!
