AsiaOffshoreShipyards

US court papers show Keppel dished out punitive measures to 17 employees for Brazil bribery

Singapore-based Keppel Offshore & Marine has disciplined 17 employees with punishments including dismissals, demotions and big financial penalties, according to Reuters citing US court documents.

The papers pertain to the recent US Department of Justice (DOJ) case in which Keppel agreed to pay a $422 million settlement over bribes it paid to Brazilian firms Petrobras and Sete Brasil.

Seven employees were let go, seven were demoted and or received written warnings, 12 (including some of the dismissed) were hit with financial sanctions totalling $8.9m and six had to undergo anti-corruption and compliance training.

Under the bribery scheme – part of the wider graft scandal that has roiled Brazil’s state oil firm Petrobras – Keppel paid bribes in return for 13 over-inflated contracts.

Last week, other documents from the Brooklyn federal court that handled the case revealed that a former Keppel lawyer had made a plea deal that opened the door for the settlement. Keppel Offshore & Marine’s actions were in violation of the US’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Donal Scully

With 28 years experience writing and editing for newspapers in the UK and Hong Kong, Donal is now based in California from where he covers the Americas for Splash as well as ensuring the site is loaded through the Western Hemisphere timezone.
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