Indictment hits Bechtel official

Bill Gang

Thursday, April 22, 1999 | 11:14 a.m.

An executive with Bechtel Nevada, which manages the Nevada Test Site, has been indicted by a federal grand jury along with a Georgia business owner in an alleged kickback scheme.

The indictment returned Wednesday names Bechtel Director of Diversity Dorothie Clark and Desmear Systems Inc. owner Omotayo Idowu in the alleged conspiracy that began in 1996.

The object of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges, was for Clark to receive a kickback from Idowu, who lives in Decatur, Ga., "for favorable treatment in connection with a subcontract for Idowu with Bechtel Nevada."

In August 1996, Idowu is alleged to have sent $6,000 to Clark after she set the wheels in motion for Bechtel employees to travel to Georgia and visit Desmear Systems.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rimatas Rukstele declined to comment on the subcontract that was being sought or its value.

Rukstele said Clark is still employed by Bechtel, the Department of Energy's prime contractor at the Test Site, and Desmear Systems is still in operation with Idowu at its helm.

A federal magistrate was expected to issue a summons today for the pair to appear for arraignment on the felony charges.

In addition to managing the Test Site, Bechtel, one of the world's largest engineering, construction and development companies, has a long history of working in Nevada.

The 101-year-old company played a major role in the construction of Hoover Dam from 1931 to 1935 as part of a six-company consortium that completed what was the largest civil engineering project in U.S. history.

Since 1898 four generations of the Bechtel family have led the privately held firm through 19,000 projects in 140 nations and on all seven continents.

Sun reporter Ed Koch contributed to this story.