Van Der Berg has been subpoenaed three times to appear before the committee. On all three occasions he has been a no show. Then at the beginning of this month, the chairman of the House Committee, John Agoda, issued police with a warrant for Van Der Berg's arrest.
This triggered a flurry of legal activity with Shell petitioning the Nigerian High Court to have the arrest order stopped. Its lawyers also want Shell to be excused from any further House Committee proceedings.
This legal storm blew up after Malabu Oil and Gas Limited filed a petition to the Committee regarding the revocation of offshore block OPL 245.
The government of military leader Sanni Abacha had awarded the license to Malabu for $20 million in 1998. However, in May of 1999, the country's civilian administration revoked the licence and awarded it to Shell for $200 million.
