Bombardier, a Canadian multinational aerospace and transportation company, said that it is “committed to the highest level of integrity” in response to an investigation being conducted by Swedish authorities and the World Bank into a Bombardier Transportation contract in Azerbaijan.

According to a March 17 report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)—a consortium of non-profit investigative centers and media outlets around the globe—Bombardier Transportation AB is suspected of paying “millions of dollars in bribes to unidentified Azerbaijani officials through a shadowy company registered in the United Kingdom.”

The report identifies that U.K. intermediary as Multiserv Overseas. Swedish anti-corruption prosecutor Tomas Forsberg told OCCRP that Multiserv Overseas has “no employees or business.”

In Sweden, one Bombardier sales executive, Evgeny Pavlov, has been detained, and several others have been questioned. “We take this matter—and any allegation of unethical behavior—very seriously as we are committed to the highest level of integrity and full compliance with all legal requirements in every country where we operate,” Bombardier stated. “As a company, and as individuals, we expect open, honest and fair dealings at all times with our customers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders.”

Bombardier added that it is “assisting Swedish authorities in their investigation and conducting our own internal review. Thus far, we have no information of any unlawful behavior. Should we discover any improper activity, we will of course take the necessary and appropriate actions to set things right.” Bombardier said it was awarded the Azerbaijan contract after a “fair and open competition.”

“As we complete our internal review, we will do everything possible to ensure that our stakeholders have a full, fair, and honest accounting of the facts,” Bombardier added. “We will always hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct and we will always welcome the scrutiny that comes with being one of Canada’s leading multinational companies.”

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