Maghreb Edition

Tunisia: Another case of corruption in North Africa. UK fines AlstomF

Posted On 27 November 2019

Number of times this article was read : 388

London, Nov 25, 2019 – The UK arm of French rail firm Alstom was on Monday fined £15 million ($20 million, 17.5 million euros) for bribery in relation to a tram contract in Tunisia, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office said.  Alstom Network UK Ltd was convicted of conspiracy to corrupt last year for paying an intermediary 2.4 million euros to win an 80-million-euro contract with Transtu, which runs the Tunis Metro, between 2003 and 2006. Instead of being “a legitimate contract for services”, the intermediary — Nevco — was in fact “a conduit for bribes”, the SFO said in a statement.

The prosecution said Nevco was run by the brother-in-law of Tunisia‘s late president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was ousted from power during the so-called “Arab Spring” of 2011. “This sentencing brings to an end a case which involved cooperation from over 30 countries and concerned conduct across Europe and beyond,” said SFO director Lisa Osofsky.  “It shows we will work tirelessly with law enforcement around the world to root out bribery and corruption.” In addition to the £15 million fine, Alstom was ordered to pay £1.4 million in costs. It has 28 days to pay the total amount. Alstom had no immediate comment when contacted by AFP.

The firm and two executives were cleared of corruption charges in the same case at London’s Southwark Crown Court in relation to transport contracts in Poland and India, the SFO said.  Last year, three executives from Alstom Power Ltd were jailed after they admitted paying bribes of over five million euros to win a 240-million-euro
power station contract in Lithuania.   In that and the Tunisia case, “papers were falsified to circumvent checks put in place to prevent bribery by Alstom staff responsible for preventing corruption”, the SFO said.

Three other executives from Alstom Network UK were acquitted of bribery claims in relation to a contract to provide rolling stock for the Budapest metro system.  The British investigation began in 2009 after Switzerland raised concerns about the group and in particular its British subsidiary.

By AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Morocco Becomes Africa’s Top-Ranked Industrial Economy✓

Morocco has become Africa’s leading industrial economy, followed by South Africa and Egypt. The African Development Bank (AfDB) ranked Tunisia fourth, reinforcing North Africa’s position as one of the continent’s principal industrial regions. The AfDB’s 2025 Africa Industrialization Index placed Morocco ahead of South Africa as Africa’s highest-ranked industrial economy.

Algerian Gas Exports to Europe Rise for Fourth Consecutive Month✓

Algeria continued to expand natural gas exports to Europe during the first four months of 2026, benefiting from steady pipeline deliveries to key markets including Spain and Italy. While Europe’s gas market continues shifting toward LNG imports, Algeria has maintained its position as one of the continent’s leading pipeline suppliers through a combination of established infrastructure, long-term contracts, and growing LNG activity.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.