Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) is working with the Secretaría de la Función Pública (SFP) on an investigation involving a PEMEX worker for allegations of extortion from food service and hospitality company Súper Pereyra, S.A. de C.V.
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Image from PEMEX Flickr. |
The PEMEX official allegedly asked Súper Pereyra for approximately US$634,718 (10 million MXN) in cash and two vans to support the development of a contract to provide food service and hospitality for a living quarters platform in the Bay of Campeche.
The investigation was launched on 25 June, and one day later, three people were arrested including one PEMEX worker in Polanco, a city neighborhood of Mexico City. On 5 July, arrest warrants were issued for extortion.
PEMEX continues to work with public officials on the investigation.
Scandals engulf oil and gas industry
Major oil and gas companies have been brought into the limelight with charges of bribery including Brazil's Petrobras and Odebrecht; and Asia's Keppel FELS, Jurong Shipyard, China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), and PetroChina.
Petrobras’ Lavo Jato (Car Wash) scandal, consisting of large-scale bribery of government officials and money-laundering corruption, was first revealed in 2009. It has since hit Odebrecht Oil & Gas, resulting in the arrest of the company's CEO Marcelo Odebrecht in June. Otavio Azevedo, the president of Andrade Gutierrez, and 10 others were arrested for charges that their companies paid $230 million in bribe money to politicians.
In addition, Singaporean shipbuilders Keppel FELS and Jurong Shipyard are being linked to Lavo Jato through the Petrobras-formed Sete Brasil company. Keppel FELS and Jurong are under allegations of paying bribes to win contracts to build 21 deepwater drilling vessels worth $800 million each. However, each deny the allegations.
Cases in China involving CNPC senior executive are ongoing. Former head of CNPC Jiang Jiemin went on trial, questioned over the transfer of a large sum of money from CNPC to the families of injured victims during a crash. In addition, Jiemin was accused in 2013 of bribery, abuse of power, and having huge amounts of unaccountable assets while working at CNPC.
Liao Yongyuan, vice chairman of PetroChina and general manager of its parent company CNPC was being investigated for suspected severe violation of relevant discipline and laws in March.
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