The Serious Fraud Office announced it closed its bribery and corruption investigation into the activities of KBR’s British subsidiaries and employees, weeks after the U.K. Supreme Court unanimously ruled the agency breached its authority in the case.
Jaclyn Jaeger
Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal, enforcement, technology, and more. Prior to joining CW, she spent four years as a legal reporter for Lawyer’s Weekly. Jaclyn attended undergraduate school at St. Joseph’s College of Maine and graduate school at Emerson College, earning degrees in journalism.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Italian court acquits Eni, Shell of corruption charges
An Italian court acquitted oil companies Royal Dutch Shell and Eni and a group of current and former executives of corruption charges surrounding a widespread bribery scheme to acquire oil exploration rights in Nigeria.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
John Wood Group earmarks $197M for global bribery settlement
Scotland-based multienergy services company John Wood Group is in “advanced stage” settlement talks with authorities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil regarding legacy bribery and corruption investigations.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
NatWest facing criminal charges in landmark U.K. money laundering case
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has brought criminal proceedings against National Westminster Bank concerning alleged violations of the 2007 Money Laundering Regulations—a first for the regulator.
Posted inBoards & Shareholders
Study: Racial diversity still lacking among Russell 3000 board members
A new board diversity report by BoardProspects reveals companies in the Russell 3000 are at a major inflection point regarding racial equality on their boards, but most (60 percent) still have no Black board members.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Braskem self-reports probe into ‘improper payments’
Brazil-based petrochemical giant Braskem disclosed the launch of an internal investigation into allegations of “improper payments” related to an ethane supply project in Mexico.
Posted inEurope
U.K. sanctions body signals tougher enforcement with new guidance
Revised guidance by the U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation suggests the agency might be strengthening its current enforcement stance as it pertains to breaches of financial sanctions.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing
FRC to investigate Deloitte over Lookers’ audits
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council has commenced an investigation into Deloitte over its audit work of car dealership chain Lookers.
Posted inAnti-Bribery
TRACE: U.S. bribery enforcement declined in 2020
Despite a banner year for resolutions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 2020, U.S. enforcement of the anti-bribery law dropped 29 percent when compared to 2019, according to the latest Global Enforcement Report by TRACE International.
Posted inEthics & Culture
Survey: Employee pressure on the rise amid COVID-19
A new global business ethics survey conducted by the Ethics & Compliance Initiative found employees are experiencing more work-related pressure as compared to before the coronavirus pandemic.