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Trafigura pleads guilty, agrees to pay about $127 million to settle US probe

Commodity trader Trafigura has accepted pay about $127 million to fix a probe into allurements paid to Brazilian authorities to protect oil agreements, the U.S. Department of Justice and the company stated on Thursday.

Trafigura Beheer BV, the parent business of Trafigura Group during the pertinent duration, has consented to pay a criminal fine of $80.5 million and surrender another $46.5 million after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to breach the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to statements from the business and the DOJ.

The offer resolves a long-running investigation by the DOJ related to a plan by Trafigura to pay allurements to Brazilian officials to protect business with state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras).

Trafigura said in December it was reserving $127. million to cover a possible DOJ fine to end a probe into. inappropriate payments by the company in Brazil.

The resolution marks the current in a series that has. seen the U.S. federal government levy high fines versus the world's. leading commodity traders over corruption. Previously this month,. Gunvor agreed to pay $662 million to settle a similar probe. Glencore, Freepoint Commodities and a Vitol subsidiary. have actually paid fines and settled comparable charges.

Traders who purchase and sell basic materials frequently operate in. jurisdictions where corruption prevails, putting them at risk. of breaking the FCPA, which forbids paying bribes to foreign. authorities.

(source: Reuters)