Detectives have arrested a 60-year-old man in relation to a long-running foreign bribery investigation by The Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The man – who was arrested as he left COVID-19 hotel quarantine in Sydney this morning – is expected to appear in Sydney Central Local Court today via video link.
Police say the man arrived back in Australia on December 27 from France and immediately entered hotel quarantine.
“He has been charged with two counts of knowingly providing misleading information contrary to sections 1309 (1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth),” an AFP statement said.
The arrest follows the November 2020 court appearance of a 54-year-old Brisbane man arrested and charged with two foreign bribery offences as a result of the intricate nine-year investigation.
“The AFP investigation began in November 2011 following the receipt of a report from Australian-registered company Leighton Holdings Limited about alleged improper payments made by Singapore registered operating entity Leighton Offshore Pty Ltd, regarding two contracts with Iraq Crude Oil Export in 2010 and 2011,” the AFP said.
“Operation Trig commenced as a result of the information received from Leighton Holdings Limited.
“The investigation revealed two contracts for the development and installation of onshore and offshore oil pipelines designed to increase the capacity of Iraq’s crude oil export.  Â
“For Leighton Offshore Pty Ltd to be awarded the two contracts – which had a combined value of approximately USD 1.46 billion – approvals were required from the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the South Oil Company of Iraq.”
AFP investigators will allege Leighton Offshore Pty Ltd funnelled bribes through entities associated with Iyer-associated companies and Unaoil to guarantee approvals for the Iraq Crude Oil Export contracts.
Police will allege the key targets of the bribery scheme were Iraqi Ministry of Oil officials and government officials within the South Oil Company of Iraq.
The investigation identified approximately USD 77.6 million in suspicious payments made via third party contractors.
AFP officers, working in close collaboration with international law enforcement, specifically the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office, the United States Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, throughout the nine-year long investigation have:
- seized more than two million documents related to the projects;
- obtained evidence from 10 countries;
- provided evidence to help foreign law enforcement partners secure guilty pleas to foreign bribery charges; and
- obtained key witness statements that have allowed charges to be laid and put before the Court.
“These efforts reflect the AFP’s and the International Foreign Bribery Taskforce’s ongoing commitment to global cooperation in the fight against corruption,” the AFP said.
In November last year, AFP officers issued an arrest warrant for a third man, aged 62. The AFP says it has not ruled out further arrests or charges, with investigations continuing.Â
