Unaoil fallout: Petrofac exec admits sprawling Middle East bribe scheme
The former global head of sales for Petrofac International Limited pleaded guilty Wednesday to UK Bribery Act violations related to over $50 million in bribes involving projects in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
David Lufkin, 51, a British national, pleaded guilty in a UK court to eleven counts of bribery under sections 1(1) and 1(2) of the Bribery Act 2010.
The Serious Fraud Office said Lufkin paid bribes to win contracts for Petrofac worth $730 million in Iraq and $3.5 billion in Saudi Arabia.
The SFO opened its investigation into London-based Petrofac in May 2017. The investigation was “related to the ongoing investigation into the activities of Unaoil,” the agency said.
According to the SFO’s statement Thursday, Petrofac paid agents $4 million in 2012 to win oil and gas-related contracts in Iraq.
The FCPA Blog