Oilfield service firm Expro has launched an investigation into claims some of its employees paid bribes.
The Aberdeen-based business said yesterday it had received an anonymous tip-off that two of its former operations co-ordinators in western Kazakhstan approved bribes to customs officials in the country over three years. Expro said it had found no evidence of wrongdoing, but added it had notified authorities in the UK and the US after receiving the information.
It is understood the alleged bribes could have been paid to clear Expro’s equipment through customs and avoid costly delays; a move which would breach the Bribery Act in the UK and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the US.
The anonymous e-mail reportedly said the bribes had been paid between 2006 and 2009.
An Expro spokeswoman said the company had been reviewing the business practices of its Kazakhstan operations. She added: “That review has not uncovered any issues of concern. The company does not tolerate corruption, promptly notified the authorities in Britain and the US about receipt of the e-mail, and has a vigorous compliance programme in place.”
It is believed the alleged bribes took place at Aksai, a key gateway for energy companies working on one of the country’s largest oil and gas projects, the Karachaganak field.
The Serious Fraud Office declined to comment.
Expro employs 5,000 people in 50 countries, including 800 staff in Aberdeen, and has annual turnover of more than £650million.
Legislation such as the Bribery Act, which was introduced a year ago, means UK firms’ financial dealings overseas are under increasing scrutiny.
Glasgow-based Weir Group was fined £3million in 2010 after admitting it paid kickbacks to Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq to secure lucrative contracts.
The firm breached United Nations sanctions imposed on the Middle Eastern country before the 2003 invasion. It made payments of £3.1million to the regime through an agent to get contracts worth £35million between September 2001 and April 2004.