The corruption and conspiracy charges brought by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office against Alstom SA could have serious implications for compliance officers.
On May 12, the prosecutor—the SFO is keen to distinguish itself from mere regulator—charged Jean-Daniel Lainé, former senior vice president of ethics and compliance at Alstom, with corruption and conspiracy to corrupt, according to court documents. The charges involve numerous Alstom subsidiaries, but Lainé has been charged for his alleged role in bribes paid to the Budapesti Kozlekedesi Vallalat (BKV) to win a contract between BKV and Alstom Transport SA to supply trains for Budapest’s metro system. Lainé appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on May 12, and the case is expected to go to trial early in 2017.
