RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 4 sourcesThe Adani Group has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing
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Criminal fraud and bribery charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani were dismissed by a U.S. judge on Monday, following a decision by the Justice Department to drop the prosecution.
Brooklyn-based U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis granted the rare request by federal prosecutors after questioning the reasoning behind the move, which included directly asking Adani if any promises were made in return for tossing out the case.
In November 2024, before the unsealing of the indictment, Adani committed to investing $10 billion in the United States.
The charges brought in 2024 alleged that Adani agreed to bribe Indian government officials so a subsidiary of the Adani Group could secure approval to build a solar energy plant.
Prosecutors contended that he subsequently misled U.S. investors by offering false assurances about the company's anti-corruption policies.
The Adani Group has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Adani has not appeared in a U.S. court to answer the charges.
The Justice Department announced on May 18 that it would no longer pursue the matter.
The decision represents the latest instance of federal prosecutors seeking to drop a high-profile white-collar prosecution during Republican President Donald Trump's second term in office.
Legal experts note that U.S. judges have little authority to force prosecutors to continue criminal cases they prefer to abandon, though charges cannot be formally dismissed without a judge's sign-off.
Garaufis had asked the Justice Department to justify dropping the case, writing that its initial "bland and conclusory" announcement provided insufficient detail.
In a court filing on July 4, Trent McCotter, a senior Justice Department official, explained that the matter was primarily foreign, difficult to prove, and misaligned with the agency's current priorities.
McCotter also refuted media reports as false after they suggested he sought to throw out the case partly due to Adani's commitment to invest funds within the United States.
In response, Garaufis asked Adani directly whether he was "aware of any agreement exchanging anything for the dismissal of the indictment."
In a sworn declaration submitted on July 15, Adani stated that he was not aware of any such arrangement.
He recognized his prior pledge to invest $10 billion in the U.S. and noted his lawyers had told the Justice Department during meetings that the commitment "might be part of a resolution of these matters."
Robert Giuffra, an attorney representing Adani, stated in a court filing on July 15 that the Justice Department informed him it would not consider the Adani Group's willingness to invest in the U.S. as part of any resolution.
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