Former NNPC General Manager Convicted in U.S. Over $2.1M Bribe From Swiss Oil Firm

Former NNPC General Manager Convicted in U.S. Over $2.1M Bribe From Swiss Oil Firm

A U.S. District Court in California has convicted Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), for taking a $2.1 million bribefrom Addax Petroleum, a Swiss subsidiary of Chinese energy giant Sinopec.

Okoronkwo, 58, was indicted in January 2024 on multiple charges, including unlawful monetary transactions, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said he received the funds in October 2015 through his Los Angeles law firm, disguising the payment as consultancy fees to secure drilling rights in Nigeria.

Court filings revealed that nearly $1 million of the bribe went toward a down payment on a Valencia, California home, while Okoronkwo failed to declare the income in his tax filings. During a 2022 federal probe, he attempted to obstruct justice by falsely claiming the money belonged to a client.

After a four-day trial, a jury found him guilty on all counts. Presiding Judge John F. Walter ruled that he faces up to 25 years in prison — 10 years each for the monetary transactions and obstruction, plus five years for tax evasion.

Sentencing is set for December 1, 2025. Okoronkwo, who previously practiced law in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, remains free on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. He was dismissed by NNPCL in 2024 following his indictment.