A United States District Court has delivered a significant ruling in a cross-border corruption case, sentencing a former high-ranking official of Nigeria’s state-owned oil company to more than seven years in prison for accepting millions of dollars in bribes from a Chinese energy conglomerate.
Paulinus Okoronkwo, a 62-year-old Nigerian American, was ordered to serve 87 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to launder approximately $2.1 million in bribe payments. The funds were provided by Addax Petroleum, a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned petroleum and gas giant Sinopec, in exchange for favorable business advantages in Nigeria’s oil sector.
The sentencing, handed down by a district court judge, marks the culmination of an investigation into corruption that exploited the lucrative oil and gas markets of West Africa.
Okoronkwo, who previously served as a General Manager at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) now known as NNPC Limited was convicted of leveraging his influential position to facilitate illicit gains. Court documents and statements from prosecutors revealed that Okoronkwo used his authority to steer contracts and approvals toward Addax Petroleum.
In return for his official actions, Okoronkwo received a stream of bribes totaling $2.1 million. Prosecutors detailed how the funds were funneled through a complex web of international financial transactions designed to conceal their illicit origin.
“This sentence demonstrates that the United States will not stand idly by while our financial system is used to launder the proceeds of foreign bribery,” said a representative from the U.S. Department of Justice. “We are committed to holding individuals accountable for corrupting international business transactions, regardless of where the misconduct occurred.”
The case highlights the long arm of U.S. law enforcement in prosecuting foreign corruption under statutes like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), particularly when American financial institutions are used to process illegal payments. The investigation exposed the bribery scheme as part of a broader effort by international oil firms to secure a foothold in Nigeria’s vast energy sector through corrupt means.
Okoronkwo’s 87-month prison term serves as a stark warning to corporate and government officials worldwide that engaging in bribery and money laundering carries severe consequences, even when the initial corrupt acts occur on foreign soil.
