MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th July, 2020) The UK specialist prosecuting authority countering complex fraud, bribery and corruption, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said it had secured convictions against two former managers of Monaco-based energy consultancy Unaoil over bribing Iraqi officials to obtain contracts.
"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. The convictions follow the guilty pleas of co-conspirator Basil Al Jarah who, in July 2019, admitted five offences of conspiracy to give corrupt payments. In the years of reconstruction following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the three men conspired with others to pay bribes to public officials at the Iraqi South Oil Company and, and in Basil Al Jarah's case the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, to secure oil contracts for Unaoil and its clients," the SFO said in a press release.
According to the statement, Al Jarah's bribe amounted to over $6 million to secure deals worth $800 million for the supply of oil pipelines and offshore mooring buoys, while Akle and Whiteley were found guilty of paying over $500,000 in bribes to secure the $55 million contract.
"These men dishonestly and corruptly took advantage of a government reeling from dictatorship and occupation, and trying to reconstruct a war-torn state. They abused the system to cut out competitors and line their own pockets. It is our mission to pursue and bring to justice those who use criminal means to weaken the integrity of business," SFO Director Lisa Osofsky said, as quoted in the statement.
The UK government department added that the men were expected to be sentenced on July 22 -23.
