Russian oil group Lukoil has asked the European Commission to help it fight charges of money laundering and tax evasion made by Romanian prosecutors against its Romanian refinery, according to a senior Lukoil executive.

Last week, Romanian prosecutors seized about EUR 600 million worth of fixed assets and inventory belonging to Petrotel, Lukoil's Romanian subsidiary. They also announced their intention to seize bank accounts in the Netherlands and the UK belonging to another Lukoil subsidiary, totaling up to EUR 2 billion.

Lukoil's vice-president for oil refining, Thomas Mueller, is due to meet with energy officials from the European Commission in Brussels this week. He said the Romanian accusations were unjustified.

"We would like to see European involvement in this because we have a small, relatively minor court making huge decisions that impact not only Romanian assets, but now European assets," Mueller said at a news conference, according to Reuters. "We don't think that's right."

The Commission confirmed that it had received Lukoil's letter and was investigating the matter.

editor@romania-insider.com