Danish company Dan-Bunkering continued to sell jet fuel to Russia despite warning from Danish regulator that it was ending up in Syria

ODENSE, Denmark — According to Danish prosecutors trying to prove Danish fuel company Dan-Bunkering violated EU sanctions, the business continued to supply jet fuel to Russian customers despite a warning from Danish regulators that it may wind up in Syria.

According to the Fyens Stiftsidende newspaper, the firm was warned in a letter from the Danish Business Authority in late December 2016 that jet fuel it was exporting to Russia was likely ending up in Syria.

Dan-Bunkering CEO Claus Bulch Klausen told the Danish court hearing the case that the company approached both Russian firms it was selling to — Sofracht and Maritime Assistance — to confirm that they were not violating any sanctions. Both companies said they were not, according to the newspaper.

In January 2017, Dan-Bunkering responded to the Danish regulator, claiming that the fuel had not made its way to Syria.

Maritime Assistance requested extra jet fuel in February 2017. The court heard that Dan-Bunkering’s team in Kaliningrad was ready to proceed with the deal but a company legal officer expressed worry that the business had been notified that the jet fuel it was selling was almost certainly going to Syria.

The lawyer recommended including a clause in the contract prohibiting the buyer from reselling the fuel for use in Syria.

According to the newspaper story, after receiving the notice from the Danish Business Authority, the business performed an additional eight deals with its Russian counterparties.

The action against Dan-Bunkering, its parent company Bunker Holding, and CEO Keld Demant is being tried in Odense and concerns 33 aviation fuel deals made with Russian counterparties between 2015 and 2017. Because the petroleum ended up in Syria, the prosecution claims the accused violated EU sanctions.

The two firms, as well as Demant, dispute the allegations, and Bunker Holding claims that its internal investigations have discovered no evidence that any of its employees were aware of the sanctions violations.