John Wood Group Unit Agrees To Settle Brazilian Bribery Charges

(RTTNews) - Amec Foster Wheeler Energy Limited, a subsidiary of a United Kingdom-based global engineering company John Wood Group plc (WDGJF.PK, WG.L ), has agreed to pay $18.38 million to resolve criminal charges stemming from a scheme to pay bribes to officials in Brazil in exchange for an about $190 million contract to design a gas-to-chemicals complex, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement.

According to court documents, Amec Foster Wheeler reached a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the U.S. Justice Department, Criminal Division, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York in connection with the filing of an information charging the Company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

According to the Company's admissions in the DPA, between 2011 and 2014, Amec Foster Wheeler conspired with others to pay bribes to decision-makers at Petrobras in order to win an about $190 million contract from Petrobras to design a gas-to-chemicals complex in Brazil called Complexo Gás-Químico UFN-IV. The Company, through certain of its employees and agents, took acts in furtherance of the scheme while located in New York and Texas, and earned at least $12.9 million in profits from the corruptly obtained business.

As part of the DPA, for a three-year period, Amec Foster Wheeler agreed to continue to cooperate with the U.S. government in any ongoing or future criminal investigations concerning Amec Foster Wheeler or its executives, employees or agents. In addition, under the agreement, Amec Foster Wheeler and its parent company, Wood, agreed to enhance their compliance programs and to report to the government on the implementation of their enhanced compliance programs.

In a related civil matter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Amec Foster Wheeler has agreed to pay the SEC disgorgement and prejudgment interest totaling about $22.7 million for the conduct in Brazil.