Nigeria, June 19 -- Italy's highest court on Thursday acquitted two Milan prosecutors accused of failing to disclose documents that could have strengthened the defence of Italian energy giant Eni in a high-profile international corruption case linked to Nigeria's OPL 245 oil block.

The Court of Cassation, Italy's supreme court, overturned an earlier ruling and cleared prosecutors Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro, declaring that "the offence does not exist", Reuters reported.

The ruling brings to a close a legal dispute that emerged from the prosecution of Eni, Shell and several individuals over the acquisition of OPL 245, a Nigerian offshore oil block, in a deal valued at about $1.3 billion.

Prosecutors had charged that executives ...