Australians charged with bribing officials over million-dollar projects in Sri Lanka

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – Two senior managers of a large Australian-based engineering construction firm accused of making corrupt payments to win two infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka worth more than $14 million have been arrested.

The Agence France-Presse reported that the two Sydney men have been charged with bribery of foreign government officials following a long-running investigation by Australian Federal Police.

The pair, aged 67 and 71, from a large Australian-based engineering construction firm, were allegedly trying to score contracts for two major infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka worth $14 million.

The report said, between 2009 and 2016, the men allegedly conspired to arrange the payment of more than $304,000 to bribe foreign government officials.

Footage of the arrests showed one man being led to an AFP car in a residential neighbourhood and the other police-escorted out of the Sydney Airport.

The report said, the AFP worked alongside the FBI, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and police in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh throughout an investigation described as “protracted”.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) also had assisted the operation.

According to the website of the engineering construction firm it has offices throughout Australia and operations across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

The two arrested men now face possible 10-year prison sentences.

Each has been charged with one count of conspiring to bribe a foreign public official.

Both are set to appear in Downing Centre Local Court today.

Investigations are continuing.