The U.K. Serious Fraud Office this week charged two individuals in relation to its ongoing Unaoil investigation, which the SFO opened up in March 2016.

The charges relate to alleged corrupt conduct within Unaoil, between June 2005 and August 2011.

Ziad Akle, Unaoil’s territory manager for Iraq, and Basil Al Jarah, Unaoil’s Iraq partner, have both been charged by requisition with conspiracy to make corrupt payments to secure the award of contracts in Iraq to Unaoil’s client SBM Offshore. Each has been charged with offences of conspiracy to make corrupt payments in violation of Section (1) of the Criminal Law Act and in violation of Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Akle and Al Jarah will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 7 December.

A third individual, Saman Ahsani,  Unaoil’s commercial director, is subject to an extradition request to Monaco on related charges, the SFO stated.

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