Petrofac Limited
The SFO announced an investigation into suspected bribery, corruption and money laundering at the London-based oil services company Petrofac in 2017.
In February 2019, David Lufkin, British national and previously Global Head of Sales for Petrofac International Limited, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to eleven counts of bribery. In January 2021, Mr Lufkin pleaded guilty to a further three counts of bribery. In addition to pleading guilty, David Lufkin co-operated with SFO investigators and assisted with the investigation. In October 2021, Petrofac Limited pleaded guilty to seven separate offences of failing to prevent bribery between 2011 and 2017.
Mr Lufkin was handed a two-year custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay a confiscation order of approximately £140,000. The company was ordered to pay a confiscation order of £22.8 million in proceeds of crime, a penalty fine of over £47.2 million and the SFO’s costs of £7 million. Petrofac Limited’s conviction and sentencing brought to a conclusion the investigation into suspected bribery and corruption as far as the corporate entity (and its subsidiaries) is concerned.
The investigation into the conduct of individual suspects continues. On 19 February 2024, Marwan Chedid and George Salibi attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with bribery offences in relation to the award of infrastructure and design contracts for oil facilities.
A trial is listed for October 2026.
Case timeline
16 Feb 2024 – Marwan Chedid and George Salibi charged with bribery offences in relation to the award of infrastructure and design contracts for oil facilities. More information here.
4 Oct 2021 – Petrofac Limited is sentenced to pay a confiscation order of £22,836,985, a fine of £47,197,640 and the SFO’s costs of £7,000,000. David Lufkin is sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months.
1 Oct 2021 – Petrofac Limited pleads guilty to seven separate offences of failure to prevent bribery between 2011 and 2017.
24 Sep 2021 – Petrofac Limited attends Westminster Magistrates’ Court to answer seven charges of failure to prevent bribery and indicates its intention to plead guilty, following a plea agreement entered into with the SFO.
14 Jan 2021 – David Lufkin pleads guilty to a further three counts of bribery, relating to corrupt offers and payments made between 2012 and 2018 to influence the award of contracts to Petrofac worth approximately $3.3 billion.
6 Feb 2019 – David Lufkin, British national and previously Global Head of Sales for Petrofac International Limited, pleads guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to eleven counts of bribery, contrary to sections 1(1) and 1(2) of the Bribery Act 2010. The offences related to the making of corrupt offers to influence the award of contracts to Petrofac worth in excess of USD $730 million and USD $3.5 billion.
12 May 2017 – SFO investigation announced.
See our past press releases under “News” on the SFO’s National Archives page.
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