Ex-NNPC GM sentenced up to 10 years in US for $2.1 million bribery case

‎A former general manager at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is facing a decade behind bars in the United States for accepting a $2.1 million bribe linked to oil drilling rights in Nigeria. The California federal court convicted the Nigerian-American on charges including money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice.
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‎Temitope Okoronkwo, who once led NNPC’s upstream division, misused his position by receiving a substantial payout from Addax Petroleum, a Swiss-based subsidiary of the Chinese giant Sinopec. This payment, transferred to his law firm’s trust account in Los Angeles in October 2015, was falsely recorded as consultancy fees but was actually intended to secure advantageous oil drilling contracts in Nigeria.
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‎During the trial, prosecutors revealed how Addax executives manipulated documents to disguise the illicit transaction, terminated employees who voiced suspicions, and misled auditors to cover up the scheme. Evidence also showed Okoronkwo used nearly $1 million from the bribe as a down payment on a home in Valencia, California, without reporting the income on his 2015 tax return.
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‎According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Addax calculated potential losses in the billions if their favourable terms were not guaranteed. The company’s engagement letter with Okoronkwo’s firm, which included a fake Lagos address, was a deliberate ploy to mask the true nature of the payment.
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‎The sentencing hearing, set for December 1, will determine Okoronkwo’s punishment, with possible prison terms up to 10 years for each money laundering count, 10 years for obstruction of justice, and five years for tax evasion.
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