The SFO said on Wednesday that Sweett had admitted to an offence under Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010. (http://bit.ly/1PuGffL)

Sweett, which provides services for the construction and management of building and infrastructure projects, said the offence involved two related contracts signed in 2013.

The SFO said in July last year that it had opened an investigation into the company's activities in the United Arab Emirates and "elsewhere". (http://bit.ly/1OFvdBk)

The Wall Street Journal had first reported the allegations of corruption in June 2013. (http://on.wsj.com/1YHkpr2)

Sweett's shares were down 14.5 percent at 17.25 pence at 1131 GMT on the London Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey)