Julius Berger To Pay $32 million In US Corruption Charges For Bribing Nigerian Officials

The US Justice Department  and FBI said Tuesday the German-based international engineering company, Bilfinger SE, has agreed to pay a $32 million penalty for charges relating to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Bilfinger's Nigerian construction subsidiary, Julius Berger PLC was charged with bribing Nigerian government officials to obtain and retain contracts related to work for the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS).  A project valued at $387 million.  

The agreement follows a three count criminal charge filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas.  

According to the complaint from late 2003 through 2005, Julius Berger conspired with Willbros Group Inc., and others to make payments totaling $6 million to unnamed Nigerian government officials to obtain EGGS contracts.  Julius Berger and Willbros formed a joint venture and inflated the joint venture's bid by three percent to cover the cost of the bribe.  Part of the conspiracy involved Julius berger employees bribing Nigerian officials with cash employees sent from Germany to Nigeria.

The Justice Department and Bilfinger agreed to resolve the charges by entering a deferred prosecution agreement for a term of three years.  Bilfinger has also agreed to implement internal controls, continue cooperating with the Justice Department, and retain a corporate compliance monitor for 18 months.

Prosecutors also resolved charges with Bilfinger's collaborator on the bribe, Willbros, and three former Willbros executives or consultants who pleaded guilty, and a fourth who remains a fugitive.

i think the real question remains, what is Nigeria doing about the ''bribed officials'' ? Makes you wonder if there is a war against corruption

200,000 People apply To Live On Planet Mars

A Dutch company says it is moving along with its plan to send four lucky Earthlings to colonize the Red Planet. The catch: They won't ever come back.

The Mars One foundation announced Tuesday that it has secured lead suppliers for an unmanned mission launching in 2018, which involves a robotic lander and a communications satellite. Lockheed Martin has been contracted to study building the lander, and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. will develop a concept study for the satellite, Mars One said.

This first mission will demonstrate technology that would be involved in a permanent human settlement on Mars. If all goes well -- and that's still very much an "if" -- the first pioneers could land on Mars in 2025.

Enthusiasm has been growing since the project's first big announcement in April. More than 200,000 people have signed up to be prospective astronauts, Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp said in Washington on Tuesday.

who else is interested?

For The First Time In World History, A Nation Legalizes Marijuana

a rally in support of the legalization of weed in Uruguay

Uruguay lawmakers approved a proposal to make recreational marijuana legal for adults and to regulate its production, distribution and sale. Once it's signed by President Jose Mujica, who initiated the proposal,Under the proposal, people will have four ways to access marijuana: medical marijuana through the Ministry of Public Health, domestic cultivation of up to six plants, membership clubs similar to those found in Spain and licensed sale to adults in pharmacies. The bill was approved in the Chamber of Deputies in late July and passed in the Chamber of Senators on Monday. Uruguay will be the first nation in the world to fully legalize the drug.


Do you think it is a right move??