Former NNPC GM Convicted in US for $2.1 Million Bribe Scandal

A former general manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Paulinus Okoronkwo, has been convicted in the United States for accepting a $2.1 million bribe. Okoronkwo was found guilty of transactional money laundering, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice.

The case revealed that he received the bribe from an Addax Petroleum subsidiary to secure drilling rights in Nigeria. Evidence presented in court showed falsified records and attempts to conceal the bribe payment.

Okoronkwo used part of the bribe to purchase a house in California, failing to declare the income in his tax returns. The US Attorney's Office in California confirmed the conviction.