Petrofac directors continue to be interviewed by SFO

Petrofac confirmed that the Serious Fraud Office is continuing to question its chairman, executive directors, non-executive directors and employees over its ongoing criminal investigation into possible bribery, corruption and money laundering.

The FTSE 250 company said the investigation is "wide ranging in time and scope" and that it has continued to engage with the SFO since the probe was launched last May and is expected to continue to involve the interview of directors under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act or under caution.

Under investigation are the activities of Unaoil, a Monaco-based consultancy that worked with Petrofac, primarily in Kazakhstan between 2002 and 2009.

Both chief executive Ayman Asfari and chief operating officer Marwan Chedid have been questioned and released as part of the probe, with Chedid since suspended by the company.

Petrofac, which in December said it will replace chairman Rijnhard van Tets with former Anglo American finance chief René Médori, said it has provided and will continue to provide relevant documents to the SFO. "No further comment will be made on the basis that this may prejudice an ongoing investigation. We also do not anticipate providing further updates on this matter."

The company, which last summer set up a compliance and ethics committee to monitor internal policies relating to issues such as corruption and risk, stressed that management have "worked together to ensure safe and reliable delivery for clients and secure new orders, whilst at the same time responding as constructively as possible to the SFO investigation".

Full year results are due on 1 March 2018.