Total Not Tied to Alleged Crime at Mozambique Project, CEO Says

TotalEnergies SE Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne rejected accusations the French energy firm has responsibilities in alleged killing of civilians four years ago at its liquefied natural gas project site in Mozambique.

The company “is accused of having directly financed and materially supported” a group of armed forces, who “allegedly detained, tortured and killed dozens of civilians” at the LNG project in the north of the country, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights said in a statement Tuesday. It filed a criminal complaint over the allegations with the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor this week.

“We will defend ourselves ...