Martin Evans QC secures confiscation order against John Venskus in Alstom Power bribery case

On 22nd July 2019 John Venskus, a former manager at Alstom Power known as "Mr. Lithuania", was made the subject of a confiscation order for approximately £410,000 for his role in bribing politicians and senior officials in the country to win contracts to upgrade a power station.

The court confirmed that Venskus had received £577,655 for his role in facilitating the bribes. Venskus, who is due to be released from prison in September, was given six months to pay the outstanding money. He is liable to serve four years in prison if he fails to do so.

John Venskus had previously been sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment on 4 May 2018. Göran Wikström was sentenced to 2 years and 7 months imprisonment on 9 July 2018 and was also ordered to pay £40,000 in costs. Nicholas Reynolds later received 4 years and 6 months imprisonment for his part in a conspiracy. He was also ordered to pay costs of £50,000. In sentencing Reynolds, the former Global Sales Director for Alstom Power Ltd’s Boiler Retrofits unit, HHJ Beddoe said: “This was sophisticated corruption, planned and executed under your direction over many years. This was a very serious example of the bribery and corruption that beleaguers the civilised commercial world and is a cancer upon it. Even if you do not create the disease but help it spread, you bear a very heavy responsibility, and the more senior your position, the more serious it obviously is.”

Alstom Power Ltd itself had already been ordered to pay a total of £18,038,000 which included:

·         A fine of £6,375,000

·         Compensation to the Lithuanian government of £10,963,000

·         Prosecution costs of £700,000

Martin Evans has represented the SFO throughout the investigation and trial.