WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2020) A US State Department contracting official has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for taking kickbacks from a Turkish construction company, the Justice Department said on Friday.
"A contracting officer with the US Department of State was sentenced today to 87 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release after he was convicted of 13 counts of conspiracy, bribery... wire fraud and making false statements," the department said in a statement.
Zaldy Sabino, 60, from the US state of Maryland, allegedly received more than $500,000 in cash payments from the Turkish-owned firm in exchange for construction contracts, the release said.
Sabino, who was convicted last October, was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, according to the release.
