TI 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index shows ‘scant progress’
Around the world, countries attempting to address their corruption issues are not making much progress, while countries failing to address corruption are worsening the problem, according to Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.
CPE Webcast: Best practices for ABAC compliance in 2023
In today’s hyper-connected and media-driven world, corruption can be a serious challenge for organizations to manage.
J&J unit to pay $9.75M to settle kickback suit
A Johnson & Johnson medical device subsidiary admitted to providing thousands of dollars in equipment as kickbacks to an orthopedic surgeon as part of a $9.75 million settlement reached with the Department of Justice.
DOJ urges voluntary self-disclosure in corporate enforcement policy updates
The Department of Justice unveiled new incentives to encourage companies to voluntarily report violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, including steep discounts in monetary fines against businesses that self-disclose misconduct.
U.S. bribery risk landscape in 2023: TRACE Matrix, Corruption Risk Forecast
Analyzing the results of two recent reports offers an understanding of the U.S. landscape around anti-bribery efforts entering 2023 and where elevated risks might lie.
Ten things I’d like to see happen in 2023 (2022 in review)
Expect big developments for the compliance profession in 2022 to continue to take center stage in the year ahead, including CCO certifications, climate-related disclosures, and more.
DOJ declines to prosecute Safran over alleged FCPA violations
The U.S. Department of Justice informed French aircraft equipment manufacturer Safran that the company would not face prosecution regarding alleged bribes paid by employees at two subsidiaries to a China-based consultant.
Honeywell to pay $203M over bribery claims in Brazil, Algeria
Honeywell International agreed to pay $202.7 million to settle charges it paid bribes to obtain contracts with government entities in Brazil and Algeria in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
DOJ, SEC extend Ericsson compliance monitorship one year
Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson agreed with U.S. authorities on a one-year extension of its independent compliance monitorship after a second breach of its obligations under a deferred prosecution agreement earlier this year.
TPRM Summit: Experts discuss FCPA lessons learned from ABB settlement
A panel on regulatory trends at CW’s virtual TPRM and Oversight Summit discussed lessons for compliance departments seeking to learn how to guard themselves against bad actors within their own firms contained in ABB’s recent $327 million bribery settlement.
Glencore to pay $180M in DRC corruption case
Commodity trading and mining company Glencore agreed to pay $180 million to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to settle claims arising from alleged corrupt practices that took place for more than a decade.
Top ethics and compliance failures of 2022
Businesses not taking AML requirements seriously, years of noncompliant off-channel communications catching up to financial services titans, and a manufacturing firm that shared revenue with terrorists comprise CW’s list of the biggest ethics and compliance fails of 2022.
ABB avoids DOJ monitor, to pay $327M over South African bribes
ABB agreed to pay $327 million in penalties to settle coordinated charges it paid bribes to win South African energy contracts. The company entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
DOJ official hints at policy changes for off-channel communications, clawbacks
The Department of Justice is considering issuing new guidance regarding companies’ record-keeping obligations for employees’ use of personal cell phones to conduct corporate business, as well as executive compensation clawback policies.
FCA fines Julius Baer subsidiary $21.5M for bribery scheme
Julius Baer International will pay more than £18 million (U.S. $21.5 million) to settle charges laid by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority for paying bribes to generate business with a Russian oil company.
Ex-BP trader’s failed whistleblower claim to raise U.K. reporting bar?
A U.K. employment tribunal’s ruling that a former BP employee was not entitled to whistleblower protection has shone a spotlight on the legal issues workers must consider ahead of speaking up.
Glencore Energy’s $324M fine for bribery comes with warning to others
Glencore Energy UK was ordered to pay nearly £281 million (U.S. $314 million) in fines and costs after an investigation by the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) found it paid $29 million in bribes to gain preferential access to oil in Africa to boost profits.
Insurance broker Gallagher latest target of DOJ Ecuador probe
Insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher is under investigation by the Department of Justice related to its business in Ecuador.
Leidos Holdings under investigation for alleged FCPA violations
Leidos Holdings, a Virginia-based information technology, engineering, aerospace, and defense firm, disclosed it is under investigation by federal law enforcement for alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Carter Healthcare, former execs to pay $30M in DOJ settlements over false claims
Home healthcare provider Carter Healthcare and its former chief executive officer and chief operations officer agreed to pay more than $30 million total under two settlements alleging the parties engaged in kickbacks to doctors and filed false claims.
Lafarge to pay $778M for supporting terrorist groups ISIS, ANF in Syria
French multinational building products company Lafarge pleaded guilty to providing material support and resources to two U.S.-designated foreign terrorist groups in Syria, representing the Department of Justice’s first corporate material support for terrorism prosecution.
AT&T to pay $23M to settle Illinois bribery probe
An Illinois-based subsidiary of AT&T will pay $23 million and revamp its ethics and compliance program following a criminal investigation into bribes the company paid attempting to influence the Illinois state legislature.
SEC order against recidivist Oracle skirts the issue
The most notable and relevant details in settlement agreements concerning regulatory compliance violations are often what is not stated. The SEC’s cease-and-desist order against Oracle over violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is no exception.
Report: Global anti-bribery enforcement levels hit record low
Only the United States and Switzerland can be considered “active enforcers” in tackling foreign bribery, while countries like the United Kingdom and Israel have taken a step back, according to the latest report from Transparency International.
U.S., U.K. improve anti-corruption coordination with data access agreement
A new agreement will allow law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom and United States to gain better access to data held by tech and telecommunications firms from the other’s country as part of evidence gathering for complex white-collar crimes.
Pharma, whistleblower lessons learned from $900M Biogen settlement
Experts discuss the ramifications of Biogen’s $900 million settlement for False Claims Act violations, including the $266.4 million whistleblower bounty in the case believed to be the largest single award under any government program.
Biogen finalizes $900M settlement in false claims whistleblower suit
Biogen finalized a $900 million settlement concerning alleged kickbacks it paid to doctors to induce them to prescribe the company’s drugs and not those of its competitors.
Oracle to pay $23M to settle FCPA violations in 3 countries
Oracle Corp. will pay more than $23 million to settle allegations laid by the Securities and Exchange Commission it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when its subsidiaries in India, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates bribed foreign officials for business.
Philips to pay $1.3M in second kickback settlement in month
Philips RS North America agreed to pay approximately $1.3 million to settle charges it unlawfully paid kickbacks as part of its second resolution addressing alleged False Claims Act violations this month.
Brazil airline Gol settles FCPA bribery charges for $41M
Brazilian airline Gol agreed to pay $41 million as part of reduced settlements addressing bribery investigations conducted by authorities in the United States and Brazil.
Bayer to pay $40M to settle long-running false claims suits
Bayer agreed to pay $40 million to settle allegations its sales team paid kickbacks to hospitals and doctors for prescribing its drugs and that the pharmaceuticals company downplayed risks regarding certain of its offerings.
Philips subsidiary to pay $24M for kickback violations
Philips RS North America agreed to pay more than $24 million to settle allegations it paid kickbacks to medical equipment suppliers to push its products ahead of other brands that are provided to patients of federal health programs.
Upheld ex-Alstom exec’s acquittal affirms ‘setback’ for FCPA’s reach
The latest development in the nearly decadelong Lawrence Hoskins court case has the potential to open the door for foreign nationals involved in aiding U.S. companies with foreign bribery schemes to escape liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to experts.
Essilor agrees to $22M settlement over kickback charges
Essilor, a manufacturer and distributor of optical lenses and equipment, will pay $22 million to settle allegations it paid kickbacks to spur sales in violation of the False Claims Act.
Biogen discloses $900M agreement in whistleblower kickback suit
Massachusetts-based biotechnology firm Biogen reached a $900 million agreement in principle to resolve a False Claims Act lawsuit brought by a whistleblower alleging the payment of unlawful kickbacks to physicians.
Former Herbalife exec fined $550K in FCPA case
Jerry Li, the former managing director of Herbalife’s China subsidiary, was ordered to pay approximately $550,000 to resolve charges brought by the SEC of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing Chinese government officials over the course of a decade.
FCA fines JLT Specialty $9.7M for financial crime control lapses
The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority fined a unit of insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group 7.9 million pounds (U.S. $9.7 million) for failing to control financial crime within its South and Central American subsidiaries.
Strain in your supply chain no excuse for compliance shortcuts
With the Russia-Ukraine war’s ever-expanding sanctions landscape, supply chain strain and risk of enforcement are sharply increasing. Speakers at a recent event hosted by Drexel University’s Kline School of Law offered best practices.
Survey: Cyber threats, remote work, financial pressures key ABC concerns for 2022
Compliance programs globally expect to shoulder more responsibilities in 2022, according to Kroll’s latest Anti-Bribery and Corruption Benchmarking Report.
SEC probing Ericsson over Iraq corruption scandal
The Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into Ericsson following the Swedish telecommunications company’s acknowledgement of evidence of “corruption-related misconduct” that occurred in its Iraq operations.
Tenaris to pay $78M to settle FCPA charges over bribes in Brazil
Tenaris, a global manufacturer of steel pipe products, agreed to pay more than $78 million to the SEC to settle charges it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by paying more than $10 million in bribes to a Brazilian government official.
Law firm Dechert, SFO criticized in ENRC case ruling
A High Court judge found the U.K. Serious Fraud Office induced a lawyer from Dechert acting for Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. to provide it with privileged and unauthorized information.
Court rules Lafarge to face crimes against humanity charges
A French court ruled Lafarge should face charges of complicity in crimes against humanity after its subsidiary allegedly paid up to €13 million (U.S. $14 million) to armed groups—including the Islamic State—to keep its Syrian cement factory running between 2012-14.
Glencore fined $1B, placed under 3-year monitorship for FCPA violations
Glencore International AG, one of the world’s largest commodity traders, will be placed under a three-year compliance monitorship and pay more than $1 billion to resolve multiple investigations into alleged bribes paid in several countries over more than a decade.
KPMG fined $4.3M for undocumented red flags in Rolls-Royce corruption case
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council announced a reduced penalty of approximately £3.4 million (U.S. $4.3 million) against KPMG for failures in its 2010 audit of car maker Rolls-Royce.
Lessons learned from Olympus compliance monitorship
Christine Gordon, chief compliance officer at Olympus Corporation of the Americas, spoke about her company’s experience working with a DOJ-selected independent monitor at Compliance Week’s National Conference.
DOJ’s Kenneth Polite to CCOs: Tell me your compliance success stories
Kenneth Polite Jr., head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and a former chief compliance officer, delivered a dynamic keynote address emphasizing the importance of empowering compliance to avoiding prosecution at Day 2 of Compliance Week’s National Conference.
Stericycle to pay $84M to resolve FCPA violations
Medical waste disposal company Stericycle has agreed to pay $84 million in civil and criminal penalties to resolve allegations it paid bribes to win government contracts in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
FinCEN advisory highlights Russian kleptocracy concerns
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an advisory offering red flag indicators of kleptocracy and foreign corruption, noting Russia as a country of “particular concern.”
Ex-Goldman banker convicted of FCPA violations in 1MDB case
Roger Ng, one of the central figures of the Goldman Sachs 1MDB scandal, was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and commit money laundering.