Peace: US attorney who indicted Gautam Adani

The US indictment of billionaire Gautam Adani in a $250 million bribery case has brought attention to both the Adani Group and US Attorney Breon Peace.

- Neha Joshi & Krishna Yadav

The statement announcing the indictment also included a statement by Peace: "My office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace and protecting investors from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the integrity of our financial markets."

The indictment came about a week after Adani congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on social media and announced plans to invest in US energy and infrastructure projects.

Peace was appointed by President Joe Biden as the 48th US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), with strong endorsement from Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who also acknowledged his support on social media during Peace's investiture.

Earlier, Peace had also successfully prosecuted pro-Trump social media influencer Douglass Mackey for conspiring to intervene in the 2016 elections.

Peace did not respond to emailed queries. "The Department of Justice media guidelines prohibit us from commenting on matters after the announcement of a criminal case or answering questions that go beyond what's in the public record," a spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office said.

The Adani group has denied the allegations in the indictment as "baseless." It also said it will explore legal recourse in the matter.

The indictment is only the first step after an investigation, to be followed by various other steps.

The US authorities will also need to present evidence of wrongdoing to press their case.

Lawyers, meanwhile, have praised Peace for his professional achievements.

Russell A. Stamets, partner at law firm Circle of Counsels, highlighted Peace's strong reputation and diverse background, making him a formidable opponent.