LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
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Houston, TX: (May-14-08) The US Department of Justice brought charges against Willbros Group Inc., a Houston-based oil-services company, alleging that it bribed government officials in Nigeria and Ecuador to obtain contracts. The federal suit claimed that the bribery schemes took place between 2003 and early 2005, when Willbros's international subsidiary agreed to pay more than $6.3 million in bribes to an array of Nigerian officials to get and keep a $387 million contract to build a gas pipeline project there. Additionally, Willbros International, agreed to pay $300,000 to employees of Ecuador's state-owned oil company to obtain a contract to work on a gas pipeline in that country. Records show that the company sold its Nigerian operations in 2007 and no longer does business there. The suit was filed following an investigation, which looked into allegations of corporate-tax fraud committed by employees in Bolivia.
Sources stated that as part of a settlement reached between the two parties, the company agreed to pay $32.3 million in criminal and civil penalties, resolving allegations. The settlement agreement showed that the $22 million criminal penalty will be paid over a period of three years. $10.3 million civil penalty will be paid in an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. [THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: WILLBROS TO PAY $32.3 MILLION IN BRIBERY SETTLEMENT]
Published on May-19-08
Sources stated that as part of a settlement reached between the two parties, the company agreed to pay $32.3 million in criminal and civil penalties, resolving allegations. The settlement agreement showed that the $22 million criminal penalty will be paid over a period of three years. $10.3 million civil penalty will be paid in an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. [
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