The Justice Department said Willbros, which is based in Panama City, Panama, but also has offices in Houston, Texas, had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which bars American citizens and firms from bribing foreign officials to win business deals.
Investigators said that Willbros employees, from late 2003 to March 2005, had agreed to make "corrupt" payments of over 6.3 million dollars to Nigerian government officials in the hope of securing a 387-million-dollar contract tied to a major natural gas pipeline project.
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"The conspirators corruptly paid, promised to pay and authorized payments to officials of the (state-owned) Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation" and other entities and individuals, the Justice Department said.
Willbros, which traces its history to 1908, could not be reached for comment.
Under the terms of its settlement with federal prosecutors, Willbros has agreed to pay a 22 million dollar criminal penalty.
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The firm has also agreed to pay 10.3 million dollars in disgorgement of all profits relating to allegations that its employees paid bribes to Nigerian officials, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Justice Department officials said the criminal fines also related to alleged bribes Willbros employees had agreed to pay Ecuadoran government officials in a bid to win work tied to another gas pipeline.
The government said it had filed a "deferred prosecution" motion with Willbros before the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas as part of its agreement with the company.
If Willbros overhauls its business practices within the next three years, the government said it would dismiss a criminal prosecution of the firm.
Investigators said the bribes Willbros had paid to Nigerian officials were tied to a contract it was trying to obtain on a gas pipeline project called the Eastern Gas Gathering System.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the SEC, assisted in the probe of Willbros which also has business operations in the United States and the Middle East.
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