Indian tycoon Adani’s US indictment spooks investors; bonds fall again

(Reuters) – India’s Adani Group bonds were under pressure for a second session Friday following billionaire founder Gautam Adani’s indictment for fraud by U.S. prosecutors and arrest warrants issued for him over an alleged $265 million bribery scheme.

The group tried to assure investors it was a “law-abiding organization” and said the accusations were “baseless and denied”. That did not stop its companies losing about $27 billion in market value on Thursday.

In early Asian trade on Friday, Adani companies’ U.S. dollar bonds were kept under pressure, nursing heavy loss from a day earlier. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone debt maturing in 2027 traded at 92 cents on the dollar and longer-dated maturities around 80 cents.

The group’s India-listed shares are due to start trading on Friday at 0345 GMT.

U.S. prosecutors have charged eight people with agreeing to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain contracts that could yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years as well as to develop India’s largest solar power plant project.

Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and former Adani Green Energy (NS:ADNA) CEO Vneet Jaain also raised more than $3 billion in loans and bonds by hiding corruption from lenders and investors, prosecutors said.

Adani Group said on Thursday the accusations made by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a parallel civil case were “baseless and denied” and that it would seek “all possible legal recourse”.

“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.”

Kenya on Thursday cancelled a procurement process worth nearly $2 billion that had been widely expected to award control of the country’s main airport to Adani Group.

Adani Group is a major corporate presence in its home market. Still, Citigroup (NYSE:C) analysts estimated Indian banks’ exposure to the group was less than 1% of total loans for most lenders.