An Aberdeen man found guilty of paying bribes to win oil contracts in war-torn Iraq has appealed against his conviction.
Stephen Whiteley, a former senior executive at Unaoil, allegedly paid around £400,000 in backhanders to win a £43 million contract to supply offshore mooring buoys.
He was found guilty in 2020 and ordered by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to repay tens of thousands of pound worth of criminal gains.
Whiteley’s decision to challenge the sentence follows the overturning of similar rulings.
Two other convictions quashed
The Court of Appeal has in recent months quashed two convictions related to alleged wrongdoings by the Monaco-headquartered oil and gas company.
Paul Bond, a senior sales manager at SBM Offshore, was set free in March having been sentenced in 2021 to three-and-a-half years in prison for conspiring to bribe Iraqi officials.
Mr Bond had been sentenced to five years behind bars in July 2020.
He launched his attempt to clear his name just a few months after the court ruled the conviction of Ziad Akle, Unaoil’s Iraq manager, was “unsafe”, quashed his conviction and ruled out a retrial.
Whiteley is now following in the footsteps of the other two men in an attempt to overturn his conviction.
Lawyer says trial has ‘cast a dark shadow’ over Whiteley’s life
Sam Healey, partner at JMW Solicitors, which represents Whiteley, said: “I can confirm that Stephen Whiteley has submitted an appeal against his conviction – the lengthy investigation by the SFO, with which he co-operated fully, and the trial into his alleged wrongdoing at Unaoil cast a dark cloud over his life for several years and his health has suffered considerably as a consequence.
“The quashing of Mr Akles’ conviction, and now that of Mr Bond, due to the refusal of the SFO to disclose material to the defence, we believe also makes Mr Whiteley’s conviction unsafe.”
Three-year jail sentence
Whiteley was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison in 2020.
After an investigation into the proceeds of his crimes, the SFO secured a court order to recover £95,864.79 and he was given 28 days to repay the money.
But it is now being claimed the SFO’s case is on “shaky ground” and faces spiralling costs, following the recent Court of Appeal verdicts.
We won’t stop fighting serious fraud, bribery and corruption.”
Serious Fraud Office spokeswoman.
The findings of a review, launched in February, of SFO’s activities are imminent.
An SFO spokeswoman said: “We won’t stop fighting serious fraud, bribery and corruption.
“Our investigation into Unaoil uncovered the payment of $17 million (£13.6m at today’s exchange rate) in bribes that were paid to win contracts worth $1.7 billion ($1.4bn) in Iraq.
“We are aware of Mr Whiteley’s appeal and considering our next steps.”
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