This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A businessman has admitted his part in an international corruption conspiracy following a criminal investigation into alleged bribery in the energy industry.

Basil Al Jarah, 70, from Hull, pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiring to give corrupt payments to public officials to secure commercial contracts in Iraq at Southwark crown court, London.

It is the first guilty plea to result from a three-year investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into suspected bribery and money laundering involving a Monaco-based oil and gas firm Unaoil.

Al Jarah, described by the SFO as Unaoil’s former partner in Iraq, pleaded guilty on Monday. His admission can be reported after a legal restriction was lifted on Friday.

According to the SFO, the five counts relate to conduct between 2005 and 2013, and the award of contracts to supply and install single-point moorings and oil pipelines in southern Iraq. Three other individuals have pleaded not guilty and will face trial next year.

The indictment placed before the court also names other people and companies Al Jarah is said to have acted with. No charges have been laid against those other people or businesses, and being named in the indictment does not constitute proof of guilt.

Named in connection with all five counts are three members of the Ahsani family who formerly owned and controlled Unaoil – Ata, the firm’s founder, and his two sons Cyrus and Saman.

The Ahsanis have denied any wrongdoing in connection with the work of Unaoil and described the allegations against the firm as malicious and damaging.

Last month, it emerged that the SFO has dropped its investigation into the Ahsani family, although its investigation into Unaoil continues. The SFO declined to explain its decision to stop investigating the family.

Also named in the indictment against Al Jarah is Ahmed al-Jibouri, the chief executive and founder of a Jordanian energy consultancy. Al Jarah is accused of acting with al-Jibouri to give corrupt payments to Iraqi officials in connection with two contracts.

Al-Jibouri has previously described the allegations against him and his company, Armada Group, as baseless and said he has hired a law firm to investigate the journalists at the Australian media group Fairfax, which originally reported the allegations against Unaoil.