UK Engineering Company Agrees to Pay Penalty for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violation

Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd., a subsidiary of United Kingdom-based engineering company John Wood Group, agreed to pay a penalty of more than $18 million to settle charges that it paid bribes to foreign officials in Brazil in exchange for a $190 million contract to design a gas-to-chemicals complex, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a June 25 news release. Amec Foster Wheeler was charged with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery portions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the release said. The company entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) to resolve the charges, the release said. From 2011 to 2014, Amec Foster Wheeler conspired with other parties, including an Italian sales agent, to pay bribes to Brazilian state-owned oil company officials to win the high-priced contract.

During the three-year DPA period, Amec Foster Wheeler will continue to cooperate with the U.S. government in any future investigations of the company. Amec Foster Wheeler, along with its parent company, also agreed to bolster their compliance programs, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. “Amec Foster Wheeler conspired to pay bribes to officials in Brazil as part of a corrupt scheme to obtain a $190 million government contract and generate millions of dollars in profits,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said. “The defendant’s lengthy DPA and agreement to pay a penalty of more than $18 million demonstrate the commitment of this Office to enforcing the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and holding companies like Amec Wheeler Foster accountable for its illegal conduct and corporate greed.”