SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
Second Australian charged over Iraqi oil bribes scandal
Sydney, Jan 11 (AFP) Jan 11, 2021
Australian police on Monday charged a man in connection with allegations a Sydney-based firm paid US$78 million in bribes to secure lucrative Iraqi oil contracts.

The man, who was not named by police, was identified in media reports as former Leighton Holdings executive David Savage.

Police said a 60-year-old was charged with two counts of knowingly providing misleading information contrary to the Corporations Act.

He was arrested on his release from 14 days in hotel quarantine after returning to Australia from France.

Investigators allege Leighton Offshore, an international arm of Leighton Holdings, funnelled bribes through contractors including Monaco-based Unaoil to secure two oil pipeline construction contracts worth almost US$1.5 billion.

In 2019, two former senior Unaoil executives pleaded guilty to being part of a scheme to bribe foreign government officials in several countries including Azerbaijan, Syria and Iraq.

The latest Australian arrest comes two months after a 54-year-old man was charged with foreign bribery offences in connection to the Leighton allegations.

The Australian Federal Police said Iraqi Ministry of Oil officials and government officials within the South Oil Company of Iraq were targeted in the scheme.

Their nine-year investigation, working with US and UK police, has also resulted in an arrest warrant for a third man who is believed to be overseas.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
AI systems proposed to boost launch cadence reliability and traffic management
China debuts Long March 12A reusable rocket in Jiuquan test flight
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4750-4762: See You on the Other Side of the Sun

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Redesigned carbon framework boosts battery safety and power
Molecular catalyst switches between hydrogen and oxygen production
Project Pele microreactor reaches key milestone with first TRISO fuel delivery

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
SDA expands Tracking Layer satellite awards and related missile defense contracts
Space Systems Command activates System Delta 80 for assured space access
Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions to provide SAR reconnaissance data to German military

24/7 News Coverage
OPERA satellite data sharpens US crop and water management
Alen Space begins SATMAR satellite validation over Bay of Algeciras
Deep Arctic gas hydrate mounds host ultra deep cold seep ecosystem



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.