Another reason why I subscribe to 'The Australian': long report already - brief excerpt:

Formula 1, luxe trips, parties: Inside Aussie giant Worley’s secret Ecuadorian corruption scandal

'...In 2012 and 2013 Worley “corruptly offered undue advantages” to Petroecuador officials to help secure the contracts, for extra work on the Esmeralda project, the tribunal found.

This included paying $US3,637.81 ($A5430) to fly three Petroecuador officials to Miami Beach for a weekend at a luxury hotel, spending US$22,000 ($A32,800) on accommodation, transport and hospitality so that three Petroecuador officials and some of their spouses could attend a Formula 1 race in Austin, Texas, buying six tickets to an NBA game at the request of a Petroecuador official and paying $US1200 ($A1800) for a Petroecuador official’s birthday party.

Lewis Hamilton (right) is followed by driver Sebastian Vettel (left) during the 2012 US Formula 1 Grand Prix, attended by Petroecuador officials. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP.

At the request of a Petroecuador official, Worley also agreed to employ, at $US5000 ($A7400) a month for eight months, an “electrical consultant” who had no electrical qualifications but instead was a trained economist.

The tribunal said it was “persuaded that the dubious circumstances of this hire indicate a lack of any reasonable business justification and are part and parcel of the Claimant’s overall corrupt conduct”.

Worley also agreed to spend up to US$6m ($A8.95m) on what it said was a “charitable project” building a school and dock on an island where a Petroecuador executive had his holiday hacienda, but the tribunal made no finding about this payment.

The broader Tecnazul scandal was heavily covered by the Spanish-language press in Ecuador, which also explored the contractor’s links to Worley.

It resulted in several Petroecuador executives - including some who were also showered with largesse by Worley - being convicted for corruption.

However, Worley does not appear to have disclosed the issue to its shareholders in Australia..."