Charges follow two-year investigtation into allegations of corruption in energy sector

Five men have been charged with corruption over £66m of engineering contracts.

The five men appeared before the City of London Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with offences of conspiracy to corrupt.

The charges follow a two-year investigation into allegations of corruption in relation to the £66m of engineering contracts in the energy sector.

The defendants are:

  • Andrew Charles Rybak (age 54) of Newbury, Berkshire
  • Ronald Gwyn Saunders (age 63) of Hook, Hampshire
  • Philip John Hammond (age 56) of London
  • Barry James Smith (age 70) of Farnham, Surrey
  • Robert Bruce McWaters Storey (age 66) of Windlesham, Surrey

It is not yet known who the men worked for or what the contracts were. The Serious Fraud Office’s investigation followed allegations that inside information was being offered to companies bidding for contracts in high-value engineering projects.

Some of the defendants were employed by the companies responsible for the procurement of these projects and are alleged to have passed confidential information to others who then offered to provide it to companies bidding for the contracts in return for a percentage of the contract value.

The defendants have been released on conditional bail and will enter a plea at Southwark Crown Court on 23 November 2010.

The charges relate to periods between 1 January 2001 and 31 August 2009.

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