Mumbai: After US prosecutors accused Gautam Adani and other executives of the Adani Group of orchestrating a $250 million bribery scheme, the conglomerate cancelled its $600 million bond offering.
The charges were filed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It caused Adani’s US dollar bonds to drop sharply in Asian trading. Some securities were falling as much as 15 cents on Thursday.
The group abandoned the bond sale just hours after it had been priced. It cited legal developments as the reason behind such a move. It has been alleged that Adani executives bribed Indian officials to secure high-value solar energy contracts.
Key persons named in the indictment include Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain. They have been accused of misleading investors while raising funds from US markets, reported the India Today.
“While Adani weathered the Hindenburg allegations, these charges highlight ongoing governance and regulatory risks,” said Mohit Mirpuri, a fund manager at Singapore-based SGMC Capital, told Bloomberg.
The indictment adds to the group’s challenges since 2023, when the Hindenburg Research report accused Adani of stock manipulation and fraud. Existing Adani Green Energy bonds issued in March 2024 sank to record lows, trading at 80 cents on the dollar.
Such developments hint at investor unease.
The spokesperson of Adani Group stated that “allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied”.
“As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, ‘the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty’. All possible legal recourse will be sought,” the Group’s statement added.
The spokesperson further stated, “The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.”