U.S. penalizes 6 firms $156.5M for bribes

HOUSTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. authorities said Thursday that a freight company and five gas and oil firms had agreed to $156.5 million in criminal fines related to bribery schemes.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice said charges were filed in federal court in Houston against Swiss freight forwarding company Panalpina World Transport Holding Ltd. alleging $27 million in bribes paid on behalf of its customers between 2002 and 2007.

The company pleaded guilty to paying "thousands of bribes" to officials in Brazil, Angola, Nigeria, Russia, Turkmenistan and elsewhere, and was assessed a criminal penalty of $70.5 million.

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. , a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, was assessed a penalty of $30 million criminal penalty for bribes paid to Nigerian officials. Transocean Inc. charged with paying 90,000 in fines, agreed to pay a $13.4 million penalty.

Tidewater Marine International Inc., charged with paying $160,000 in bribes, was assessed $7.3 million in fines.

A Texas company, Pride International Inc. and Pride Forasol SAS, pleaded guilty to paying $800,000 in bribes to officials in Venezuela, India and Mexico and was assessed a $32.6 million criminal penalty.

In addition, Swiss company Noble Corp., admitted paying $74,000 in bribes to Nigerian officials. Noble was assessed a $2.5 million fine.

The companies were also to forfeit $80 million as a "disgorgement of profits," authorities said.