Aibel Group Ltd., a UK company with operations in Houston, Texas, plead guilty yesterday to violating the anti-bribery provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and agreed to pay a $4.2 million criminal fine. According to court filings, beginning in February 2001, Aibel Group, through its predecessor entities, began providing engineering services for a Nigerian deep water oil drilling operation called the "Bonga Project." Aibel agents and employees were accused of making 378 corrupt payments totaling approximately $2.1 million to Nigerian customs and other government employees in exchange for favorable treatment. Two other Aibel Group entities have been found guilty of violating the FCPA. In July 2004, Vetco Gray UK, an Aibel Group entity, plead guilty and paid a criminal fine of $1 million. In February 2007, Vetco Gray Controls Inc., and related entities, also Aibel Group companies, was found guilty of FCPA violations and agreed to $26 million in criminal fines.
Read the story here and here.
See Willkie Farr's take on the Vetco guilty plea here.
Gibson Dunn also has a nice analysis on this case and the FCPA in general here.
Read also fcpablog's entry here.
See the DOJ announcement here.
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