Honeywell records charge of $160M in FCPA probe
Honeywell International has recorded a charge of $160 million in accrued liability concerning an investigation by U.S. and Brazilian authorities as to whether the company’s use of third parties in Brazil violated the FCPA.
Compliance Week National Conference is going back in person in May
Mark your calendars: Compliance Week’s National Conference in Washington, D.C. will be held in person for the first time in nearly three years from May 16-18, 2022.
DOJ finds Ericsson breached obligations under FCPA agreement
Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson announced the Department of Justice has determined the company “breached its obligations” under a deferred prosecution agreement entered with the agency in 2019.
CPE Webcast: Transaction monitoring at heart of fight against bribery, corruption, and fraud
Combating bribery, corruption, and fraud is vital to reducing risk and maintaining compliance. Getting to the heart of financial transactions can also help you reduce unnecessary losses for your business.
Credit Suisse reaches $475M global resolution in corruption case
Credit Suisse Group and U.K. subsidiary Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) reached an approximately $475 million global settlement with U.S. and U.K. authorities for the bank’s role in a long-running tainted loan corruption scheme.
CEO of Navy contractor charged with bribery
Frank Rafaraci, CEO of Malta-based ship maintenance company Multinational Logistics Services, has voluntarily returned to the United States to face a criminal charge for his alleged role in a bribery scheme.
Ex-Braskem CEO gets 20 months in prison over bribery scheme
Jose Carlos Grubisich was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his role in a scheme to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in bribe payments from Braskem to government officials and political parties in Brazil.
Petrofac fine fallout: Penalty too light for SFO to claim success?
Petrofac’s relatively low penalty for multiple bribery offenses might encourage companies to take their chances when faced with the choice of a possible criminal conviction or cutting a deal with the Serious Fraud Office, legal experts warn.
Petrobras fulfills obligations of 3-year FCPA agreement
Brazilian state-owned energy company Petrobras announced it has met the obligations of a three-year agreement reached with the Department of Justice for playing a role in one of the world’s largest political corruption investigations.
Petrofac to pay $105M for widespread bribery scheme
Petrofac was ordered to pay £77 million (U.S. $105 million) to conclude a long-running investigation into allegations company executives paid to win lucrative oil contracts in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
SNC-Lavalin touts compliance enhancements amid fresh corruption charges
Enforcement authorities in Canada arrested and brought charges against two former executives of SNC-Lavalin and its subsidiary, SNC-Lavalin International, for their role in a bribery scheme that occurred two decades ago.
Petrofac readies bribery guilty plea, touts compliance enhancements
Petrofac will plead guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery, the potential endpoint in a long-running investigation into allegations company executives paid to win lucrative contracts in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Red flags ignored in WPP $19M FCPA settlement
Global advertising giant WPP reached a more than $19 million settlement with the SEC to resolve charges of violating the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal accounting controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Anti-corruption leaders share upsides of remote compliance program
COVID-19 has altered how companies operate their anti-corruption compliance programs, but not necessarily for the worse, according to experts from PepsiCo and Cook Group who shared their experiences at a recent Diligent virtual summit.
Report: China, U.S. most confident in combating corruption risks
Risk leaders at companies in China and the United States expressed the highest level of confidence in their approach to mitigating bribery and corruption risk, according to a new global benchmark report from Kroll.
Ex-Ericsson employee charged with FCPA bribery violations
A former account manager at Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson faces charges of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act regarding alleged bribes paid to government officials in the Republic of Djibouti.
Pandemic not slowing rising AML fine totals, report says
Kroll’s latest annual enforcement review identified $2.2 billion in AML fines in 2020 compared to $444 million in 2019. The first six months of 2021 indicate a similar pace to last year.
David Last named permanent head of DOJ’s FCPA Unit
The Department of Justice has named David Last to be the permanent chief of its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit, following his being appointed acting head in April.
Pactiv Evergreen nearing clearance from SEC in FCPA probe
Pactiv Evergreen said it has received indication from the SEC it will not face enforcement following an internal investigation launched last year into potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Ex-Glencore oil trader pleads guilty for role in bribery scheme
A former oil trader for a subsidiary of Glencore entered a guilty plea for his role in bribing government officials in Nigeria in exchange for the award of oil cargoes and more favorable delivery terms.
FirstEnergy to pay $230M in Ohio corruption settlement
FirstEnergy Corp. agreed to pay a $230 million criminal penalty as part of a settlement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio surrounding the state’s nuclear bailout federal corruption scandal.
SFO secures DPAs worth $3.4M with two unnamed companies
The Serious Fraud Office announced deferred prosecution agreements worth £2.5 million (U.S. $3.4 million) with two unidentified U.K.-based companies for bribery offenses.
10 years of U.K. Bribery Act: Compliance enough to define law’s success?
The U.K. Bribery Act marked its 10th anniversary this month, but views are mixed about how the legislation and its enforcement have fared in the decade since it came into force.
Survey: Emerging TPRM trends in anti-corruption
Kroll’s newest anti-corruption benchmarking report highlights current TPRM trends such as evolving challenges with enhanced due diligence, the rise of automation, the growing incorporation of ESG matters into compliance programs today, and more.
Charles Duross: Tips for managing third-party FCPA risks
Charles Duross, former deputy chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section, shared tips on how companies can best manage third parties and employees who willfully try to circumvent internal controls during his keynote speech at CW’s virtual TPRM conference.
Compliance lessons from Wood Group’s $177M global bribery settlement
John Wood Group reached a $177 million settlement with authorities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, concluding legacy bribery and corruption investigations into Amec Foster Wheeler companies.
Ex-Goldman Sachs exec Asante Berko settles FCPA case
The SEC obtained final judgment against a former Goldman Sachs executive charged with violating the FCPA by orchestrating a bribery scheme to help a client win a power plant contract in the Republic of Ghana.
SEC drops FCPA probe into Avianca
Avianca Holdings disclosed in a regulatory filing that the SEC has dropped its FCPA investigation into the company and will not recommend an enforcement action.
OFAC bills Bulgarian sanctions as ‘single largest action targeting corruption’
Calling it the “single largest action targeting corruption to date,” the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three prominent Bulgarian individuals along with their network of 64 companies for their “extensive roles” in corruption in Bulgaria.
Calif. judge dismisses bribery charge against Apple security chief (and former CCO)
A bribery charge against Apple’s chief security officer was dropped by a California Superior Court judge, citing a lack of evidence.
Austrian banker arrested for role in Odebrecht-related scheme
The former CEO of an Austrian bank was arrested in the United Kingdom on criminal charges for his alleged role in a massive money laundering scheme involving Brazil-based global construction conglomerate Odebrecht.
Ericsson to pay Nokia $97M to settle FCPA-related damages claim
Swedish telecom giant Ericsson has reached a settlement of €80 million (U.S. $97 million) with Nokia relating to events that were the subject of a 2019 FCPA resolution with U.S. authorities.
DOJ joins SFO in corruption probe of Bombardier
The U.S. Department of Justice has joined the U.K. Serious Fraud Office in an ongoing investigation into plane maker Bombardier over suspected bribery and corruption relating to contracts and orders from airline carrier Garuda Indonesia.
DOJ closes FCPA investigation into Pactiv Evergreen
Pactiv Evergreen said it will not face an enforcement action by the Department of Justice, following an internal investigation launched last year into potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
DOJ FCPA head Christopher Cestaro to depart for WilmerHale
Christopher Cestaro, chief of the Justice Department’s FCPA Unit, is set to depart the agency for a partner position with law firm WilmerHale.
Airbus subsidiary GPT pleads guilty to corrupt acts in Saudi Arabia
Airbus subsidiary GPT Special Project Management will pay approximately £30.3 million (U.S. $42.1 million) after pleading guilty to corruption relating to contracts it was awarded for work carried out in Saudi Arabia.
Ex-Braskem CEO pleads guilty for role in bribery scheme
The former CEO of Brazilian petrochemical giant Braskem pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in bribe payments from the company to government officials and political parties in Brazil.
Michaela Ahlberg: Building a compliance program amid an FCPA probe
Michaela Ahlberg created a compliance program from scratch when she was hired by Swedish telecom Telia following allegations of corruption in its foreign business dealings. She shared what she learned with the audience at CW’s Financial Crimes virtual event.
DOJ’s Daniel Kahn talks FCPA, evaluation of compliance, more
Daniel Kahn, acting chief of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, discussed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, evaluating companies’ investments in compliance, and more at Compliance Week’s Financial Crimes virtual event.
Corruption-embroiled FirstEnergy names chief ethics and compliance officer
FirstEnergy named Antonio Fernández vice president and chief ethics and compliance officer, effective April 12. His appointment comes amid U.S. government scrutiny over a corruption scandal.
Toyota discloses ‘possible anti-bribery violations’ to U.S. authorities
Toyota said in a regulatory filing it has “reported possible anti-bribery violations related to a Thai subsidiary” to U.S. enforcement agencies.
SFO closes bribery investigation into KBR’s U.K. subsidiaries
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.
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.
Och-Ziff ex-CFO fined $35K for role in bribery case
The former chief financial officer at then-Och-Ziff Capital Management Group has agreed to pay $35,000 in a settlement with the SEC for his role in the firm’s notorious bribery scheme.
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.
U.S., U.K. enforcement heads praise coordination in corruption cases
Daniel Kahn of the U.S. Department of Justice and Lisa Osofsky of the U.K. Serious Fraud Office discuss how enforcement agencies expect closer cooperation through 2021 in the global fight against bribery and corruption.
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.
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.
Samsung Heavy Industries settles Brazil bribery probe for $150M
Samsung Heavy Industries will pay 812 million reais (U.S. $149.9 million) in a leniency deal with Brazilian enforcement authorities for acts of corruption and money laundering related to “Operation Car Wash.”
Athenahealth settles kickback case for $18.25M
The Department of Justice announced an $18.25 million settlement with electronic health records technology vendor athenahealth for allegedly paying unlawful kickbacks to generate sales.