A 46-year-old Sydney man has been sentenced to a custodial sentence of two years and six months following an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation into foreign bribery in Nauru involving an Australian-based company.
Operation Regatta commenced in 2015 to investigate allegations the director of Sydney-based company Radiance International Pty Ltd, and its related group of companies, conspired to pay bribes to foreign public officials in Nauru.
In the course of the investigation officers uncovered the payment of more than $100,000 worth of bribes.
AFP investigators executed search warrants in Brisbane, the Sydney CBD and Pyrmont on 13 September 2018, which resulted in a Pyrmont man being arrested and charged for conspiring to bribe foreign public officials to gain a business advantage.
The man was a director in the Radiance International group of companies, which were involved in a number of instances of the bribery of the Nauruan officials.
This illegal activity predominately related to the exports of phosphate from Nauru.
On 11 February 2020, the 46-year-old man pleaded guilty to two offences between August 2015 and July 2017 of causing bribes to be paid to foreign public officials of the Republic of Nauru contrary to section 70.2(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
Last week the man received a custodial sentence of two years and six months to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO), with an additional condition of 400 hours of community service.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Northern Command Lesa Gale said the complex three-year investigation reflects Australia's commitment to taking action against foreign bribery.
"The AFP investigation showed that a small country, with a population of just 10,000 people, had its primary resource illegally exploited by an Australian-based company," Assistant Commissioner Gale said.
"Bribery has a real human impact. Livelihoods are exploited, institutions corrupted and it undermines public confidence. Corporations, like people, will be held responsible if they have broken the law. The effect of bribery is not always immediately apparent, but in many countries where bribery has occurred, you do see the real impact of this offending. This is the reason Australia and our international partners take the pursuit of bribery, including where Australian companies are alleged to be involved, so seriously.
"The complex nature of foreign bribery investigations is reflected by this lengthy and meticulous investigation. It is testament to the commitment of AFP officers that we have seen this result today."
The AFP acknowledges the strong support in this investigation from partner agencies, including the Australian Border Force and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
