Bribery charges laid

Brisbane: A 54yearold Brisbane man charged with bribery offences was a ‘‘significant player’’ in a complex scheme to bribe Iraqi officials to approve oil contracts worth billions of dollars, police will allege.

A nineyear investigation focusing on two contracts worth a combined $US1.46 billion ($NZ2.11 billion) led to the man's arrest at his home yesterday.

Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said police would allege ‘‘that payments through a series of complex company arrangements were made as bribes to Iraqi officials to guarantee approvals for the contracts,’’ he said.

The investigation involved seizing more than 2 million documents, and evidence gathered from 10 countries. — AAP