Ex-NNPC official Paulinus Okoronkwo convicted in US for $2.1M bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion linked to Nigerian oil deals.
A former senior official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Paulinus “Pollie” Okoronkwo, has been convicted in the United States for his role in a $2.1 million bribery scheme linked to oil drilling rights in Nigeria.
The 58-year-old Nigerian-American lawyer, who previously served as General Manager in NNPC’s upstream division, was found guilty of three counts of money laundering, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice. The verdict was handed down on August 29 after a four-day trial at a California federal court.
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How the Bribery Scheme Unfolded
According to US prosecutors, Okoronkwo accepted a $2.1 million bribe in 2015 from Addax Petroleum, a Swiss subsidiary of China’s state-owned oil giant Sinopec. The payment was allegedly meant to secure more favourable financial terms for Addax’s oil exploration and production rights in Nigeria.
Investigations showed the funds were wired into a trust account under Okoronkwo’s Los Angeles law firm under the guise of legal consultancy services. Prosecutors described the deal as a sham contract created to disguise the illicit payment.
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Cover-Up and Misuse of Funds
Court records reveal that Addax Petroleum fired executives who questioned the transaction and later provided false information during an audit. In 2017, Okoronkwo reportedly used $983,200 of the illicit funds as a down payment for a property in Valencia, California, without declaring it on his 2015 tax return.
In 2022, he misled federal investigators, claiming the funds belonged to clients rather than his personal income, an act that formed the basis of the obstruction of justice charge.
Possible Sentencing
US District Judge John F. Walter has scheduled sentencing for December 1. Okoronkwo faces:
Up to 10 years per money laundering count
Up to 10 years for obstruction of justice
Up to 5 years for tax evasion
The ex-NNPC official is currently out on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
Investigation and Prosecution
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation led the probe with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Alexander Schwab, Nisha Chandran (Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Major Frauds Section), and Alexander Su (Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section).
