RE: Snapper105 Oct 2021 14:48
UPDATE: UK SFO says bribery probe continues after Petrofac fine
Tue, 5th Oct 2021 06:59
(Alliance News) - Petrofac Ltd on Monday was fined GBP77 million by the UK Serious Fraud Office and Southwark Crown Court for seven bribery offences, to which the Jersey-based provider of services to oil and gas industry had pleaded guilty last month.
The penalty consists of a confiscation order of GBP22.8 million, due at the start of January, plus a fine of GBP47.2 million and the SFO's costs of GBP7 million, both due in mid-February.
The bribes were paid or offered by Petrofac employees to buying agents as part of project bids from 2012 to 2015. "Over a period of six years, senior executives within the Petrofac group engaged in elaborate schemes to corrupt the awarding of contracts, using agents to systematically bribe officials to win lucrative contracts by unfair and dishonest means," the SFO said.
Petrofac noted that all the employees involved now have left the company.
"By pleading guilty, Petrofac Ltd has accepted that senior executives within the Petrofac group acted deliberately and without conscience in the pursuit of greed," commented Lisa Osofsky, an SFO director. "The company's failure to prevent this conduct distorted competitive market conditions and tainted the oil and gas industry."
The SFO noted this was the third set of convictions secured by the SFO in its four-year investigation of Petrofac. "It said it continues to investigate the case."..............................