Prosecutions ‘unrelated to Widnes firm’
●
AWIDNES rail engineering firm has distanced itself from two companies belonging to the same group and convicted of bribery.
At Southwark Crown Court on November 25, Alstom Network UK was ordered to pay £16.4m for conspiracy to corrupt over a contract to supply trams in Tunisia.
The sentence comprised £15m in fines and £1.4m in costs.
In a prosecution brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Alstom Network UK was convicted in April 2018 of the charge, after it paid 2.4m Euros to intermediary Nevco to secure a contract worth 79.9m Euros with Transtu, the company that runs the Tunis Metro.
The SFO said Nevco was ‘simply a conduit for bribes’, something it said was acknowledged later by Alstom.
Alstom Network UK was acquitted of corruption in connection with allegations over transport contracts in India and Poland.
In a separate case, Alstom Power Ltd was fined £6m and ordered to pay £11m in compensation plus £700,000 in costs after it admitted bribing Lithuanian officials over a project to upgrade and refit a power station.
The SFO said bribes of 5m Euros had been paid to secure a contract worth 240m Euros.
Alstom Network UK filed dormant company accounts in 2019 and 2018 but remains listed as ‘active’ on Companies House.
Alstom Group has distanced its Widnes operation Alstom Transport in Halebank from the disgraced companies.
An Alstom Group spokesman said: “Alstom takes note of the sentence pronounced at Southwark Crown Court in relation to a project in Tunisia in 2004.
“This is the only conviction out of four charges brought by the SFO against ANUK relating to transport projects.
“Alstom is satisfied that, as far as it is concerned, this sentence brings to an end the long-running UK proceedings in respect of historic conduct.
“As clearly acknowledged by the learned judge, over the past 10 years there have been significant changes within the Alstom Group, not only structurally and in relation to fields in which it operates, but also in relation to culture and personnel.
“Alstom is committed to being a leading company for the purposes of ethics and compliance, not only in France but also internationally.
“Following an audit in 2017, Alstom was among the first companies in the world to obtain the AFAQ ISO 37001, confirming its ongoing commitment to ethical corporate conduct.”
Alstom Transport opened its technology centre in Widnes in 2017.
Key projects include converting trains to hydrogen power.