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By Samuel Rubenfeld and Nina Trentmann 

A former global sales director at Alstom Power Ltd. was found guilty of conspiracy to corrupt related to a bribery scheme in Lithuania for contracts worth EUR240 million ($273.5 million), the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office said Wednesday.

The conviction of Nicholas Reynolds, who is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, follows guilty pleas by two former Alstom Power executives -- John Venskus in October 2017 and Göran Wikström in June -- for the same charge in a case that dates back to 2009.

Mr. Venskus was sentenced in May to 3 1/2 years in prison. Mr. Wikström received two years and seven months when sentenced in July.

Alstom Power pleaded guilty to conspiracy to corrupt in May 2016, agreeing to pay a GBP6.4 million ($8.1 million) fine and nearly GBP11 million in compensation to the Lithuanian government, the SFO said.

The trial of Mr. Reynolds was the last of an SFO probe into suspected bribery across several companies. The investigation came as a result of information from the Swiss attorney general. The probe involved cooperation with 30 countries, the SFO said.

"Their illicit activities to win lucrative contracts were calculated and sustained, undermining legitimate business and public trust," SFO Director Lisa Osofsky said in a statement.

Alstom Power was sold to General Electric Co. in 2015. The SFO's investigation began before GE acquired the business. GE said in an emailed statement Thursday that it cooperated with the investigation after the close of the transaction and worked to resolve legacy issues responsibly.

Also Wednesday, after restrictions on reporting the conviction were lifted, the SFO said Alstom Network UK Ltd. was found guilty in April on a count of conspiracy to corrupt for making payments to win a tram and infrastructure contract in Tunisia. Alstom Network paid EUR2.4 million to a company it later acknowledged was a front for corruption in exchange for help in securing an EUR85 million contract, the SFO said.

Alstom SA, the parent of Alstom Network, said Thursday that it is appealing the conviction.

The company added that its compliance program observes laws and regulations in countries where it operates, and that prevention of corruption is a priority.

"Alstom rules address and set clear guidelines for dealings with public authorities and customers and other areas of corruption risk," a company spokesman said. "Alstom constantly seeks to improve its compliance program and implement best-in-class compliance rules and processes."

Alstom Network was acquitted in April along with two executives of charges relating to alleged corruption to win transportation contracts in India and Poland. The unit also was acquitted along with three other executives for their roles in alleged corruption over the supply of trains to the Budapest Metro system.

Those acquitted in the Budapest case included Terence Stuart Watson, a former Alstom managing director in the U.K., and Jean-Daniel Lainé, who was a senior vice president of ethics and compliance at Alstom.

Write to Samuel Rubenfeld at samuel.rubenfeld@wsj.com and nina trentmann at Nina.Trentmann@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 20, 2018 15:03 ET (20:03 GMT)

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