By John Lee. Ziad Akle, Unaoil's territory manager for Iraq, has had his conviction for bribery quashed by the UK's Court of Appeal today (Friday). He had been sentenced to five years' imprisonment in July 2020 having been found guilty of paying over $500,000 in bribes to secure a $55-million contract to supply offshore mooring […]
Paul Bond has today been sentenced to three and half years' imprisonment for conspiring with others to bribe Iraqi public officials to secure lucrative oil contracts in post-occupation Iraq. Earlier this week, Bond, a former senior sales manager at SBM Offshore (SBM), was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to give corrupt payments following […]
By John Lee. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has made one arrest, and issued a further two arrest warrants, following an investigation into alleged improper payments made by Singapore-registered Leighton Offshore Pty Ltd, regarding two contracts with Iraq Crude Oil Export in 2010 and 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald names the arrested suspect as Russell […]
Former Unaoil executive sentenced for paying bribes to win $1.7-billion worth of contracts Basil Al Jarah has today been sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment for paying in excess of $17m in bribes to dishonestly secure approximately $1.7bn worth of contracts in post-occupation Iraq. Al Jarah, Unaoil's former Iraq partner, conspired with others […]
Second former Unaoil executive sentenced for bribery in post-occupation Iraq Stephen Whiteley, Unaoil's former territory manager for Iraq, has today become the second Unaoil executive to be sentenced for paying over $500,000 in bribes to secure a $55m contract to supply offshore mooring buoys. He was sentenced by HHJ Beddoe to 3 years' imprisonment. This […]
Ziad Akle, Unaoil's territory manager for Iraq, has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for paying over $500,000 in bribes to secure a $55m contract to supply offshore mooring buoys. [Update 10th Dec 2021: Akle's conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.] The new buoys formed part of the post-occupation Iraqi government's "Master Plan" […]
By John Lee. The UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured convictions against two former oil executives who conspired to give corrupt payments to secure contracts in Iraq. A jury at Southwark Crown Court found Ziad Akle guilty on two counts and Stephen Whiteley guilty on one count of conspiracy to give corrupt payments. [Update […]
By John Lee. The trial has begun in London of three British businessmen accused of conspiring to pay bribes totalling $6m (£4.6m) to win contracts in Iraq worth $800 million. According to the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Monaco-based Unaoil bribed Iraqi officials to help Dutch-based SBM Offshore [Single Buoy Moorings], and Singapore's Leighton Offshore, […]
Two brothers have pleaded guilty in the US to facilitating the payment of millions of dollars in bribes to officials in nine countries, including Iraq. Cyrus Ahsani, 51, and Saman Ahsani, 46, both of United Kingdom (UK), ran the Monaco-based oil and gas consultancy Unaoil. They are due to be sentenced on 20th April, 2020. […]
Former Unaoil executive pleads guilty to conspiracy to give corrupt payments Basil Al Jarah, Unaoil’s former partner in Iraq, pleaded guilty on 15 July 2019 to five offences of conspiracy to give corrupt payments in connection with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO)’s investigation into Unaoil. The offences relate to the award of contracts to […]
By John Lee. Oil services firm TechnipFMC (TFMC) has agreed to pay $296 million to resolve allegations that the company paid bribes in Brazil and Iraq. TFMC is the product of a 2017 merger between two predecessor companies, Technip S.A. and FMC Technologies, Inc.. The admissions and court documents establish that beginning by at least […]
By John Lee. Two companies have won tenders to supply "Hook & Line equipment and Metal Detectors" to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Iraq. The contract with South Africa-based LVP Technology is valued at $608,292, while the contract with Monaco-based MKG sarl is valued at $144,845. (Source: UNGM)
