Alstom assets in Brazil are blocked amid a bribery investigation

A Brazilian court has ordered officials to block millions of dollars worth of assets of French power and transportation company Alstom and others suspected of involvement in a bribery scheme.

Judge Maria Gabriella Pavlopoulos Spaolonzi on Monday ordered the blocking of 282 million reals ($104 million) worth of assets of Alstom SA., three of its former staff members and a judge of the Sao Paulo state court of audit whom they allegedly bribed in 1998 to be awarded a contract to modernize an energy transmission system.

In a brief email statement, Alstom said Tuesday it had not been notified of the judge's ruling and that all its operations in the country "comply with Brazilian legislation."