Apple’s chief security officer (and former CCO) accused of bribery
Apple Chief Security Officer Thomas Moyer, who served as the company’s chief compliance officer for nearly a decade, is facing accusations that he offered bribes in the form of iPads to California state officials in exchange for concealed firearms licenses.
Four years later, Odebrecht’s external monitorship ends
Odebrecht has reached the end of its compliance monitorship, four years after pleading guilty and resolving charges with authorities in the United States, Brazil, and Switzerland for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
2020 TRACE Bribery Matrix: U.S. falls from top 20; China on the rise
TRACE International’s 2020 Bribery Risk Matrix has the United States trending downward in multiple areas of business-related bribery risk.
OECD praises U.S. global anti-bribery enforcement efforts
In its 10-year check-in report, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development lauded U.S. enforcement authorities for continuing to be at the forefront in the global fight against corruption and offered only minor suggestions for improvements.
Embattled FirstEnergy parts with legal, ethics chiefs
Embroiled in the Ohio nuclear bailout federal corruption scandal, FirstEnergy Corp. continued to clean house with the firing of Chief Legal Officer Robert Reffner and General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah.
Bombardier cooperating with SFO corruption investigation
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office is investigating plane maker Bombardier over suspected bribery and corruption in relation to contracts and orders from Indonesian airline carrier Garuda Indonesia.
Airline Services Ltd to pay $3.9M, agrees to DPA in bribery case
The U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office has levied penalties worth nearly £3 million (U.S. $3.9 million) against defunct aircraft refurbishing company Airline Services Limited for violating the country’s anti-bribery laws.
CPE Webcast: Enforcement risks and compliance pitfalls for corporations
Three recent major enforcement actions related to alleged domestic bribery activity, including a $200 million deferred prosecution agreement with a major utility, may signal a renewed focus by the Department of Justice into corruption corporate interests at the state and local levels in the U.S.
Bribes, falsified records cost Beam Suntory $19.6M in FCPA settlement
Alcoholic beverage maker Beam Suntory agreed to pay $19.6 million to resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act charges of improper payments by its Indian subsidiary.
Compliance lessons from Goldman Sachs’ $2.9B 1MDB settlement
Jaclyn Jaeger explores compliance takeaways from Goldman Sachs’ $2.9 billion global bribery settlement for its role in the 1MDB scandal.
Brazilian meatpacker’s FCPA settlement details widespread corruption
Brazilian company JBS, the largest meat producer in the world, and its holding company agreed to pay nearly $300 million for systemic and widespread corruption in settlements with two U.S. enforcement agencies.
Merit Medical fined $18M after ignoring CCO’s kickback warnings
The former chief compliance officer for Merit Medical Systems will be paid $2.65 million for his role in uncovering a six-year kickback scheme that paid hospitals and doctors to purchase company products.
White paper: Additional Tips for Success in Combatting Bribery and Corruption
On July 3, 2020, quietly and with little fanfare, the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released the 133-page Resource Guide to the US Foreign Corruption Practices Act, Second Edition (“the FCPA Resource Guide”).
Sargeant Marine to pay $16.6M in FCPA case
Sargeant Marine has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and agreed to a $16.6 million criminal fine to resolve the charges, the Department of Justice announced.
Pactiv Evergreen discloses FCPA probe ahead of IPO
In its IPO filing, foodservice packaging company Pactiv Evergreen (currently Reynolds Group Holdings Limited) announced it might have potentially violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act regarding gift cards given in China.
Benefits of bribery: New study separates fact from fiction
While bribery can provide companies with major short-term gains, there is little evidence to support many other beliefs surrounding the “return on investment,” according to a new study.
Best practices KYC: What to do when your client is in the headlines
How do we, as AML professionals, assess negative media alerts? It should start with a conversation with the client relationship manager, but it shouldn’t end there, writes Martin Woods.
Samsung heir indicted on market manipulation, accounting fraud charges
Lee Jae-yong, the heir and de facto leader at Samsung, was indicted by South Korean prosecutors on charges related to a 2015 merger of two subsidiaries and alleged irregularities in accounting practices at another subsidiary.
Herbalife finalizes $123M FCPA settlement with SEC, DOJ
Herbalife will pay $123 million to settle charges of violating the books-and-records and internal accounting controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in China.
World Acceptance Corp. to pay $21.7M to resolve SEC FCPA case
World Acceptance Corp., a small-loan consumer finance company, has agreed to pay $21.7 million to resolve Securities and Exchange Commission charges for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Eight years later, Zimmer Biomet FCPA case ends
Zimmer Biomet Holdings disclosed in a regulatory filing it has reached the end of its monitorship, eight years after resolving parallel settlements with the DOJ and SEC for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
SFO charges Airbus subsidiary for corrupt acts in Saudi Arabia
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office announced charges against GPT Special Project Management and three individuals concerning a criminal investigation that began eight years ago into allegations of misconduct in Saudi Arabia.
Och-Ziff investors reach $136M proposed settlement in FCPA case
Sculptor Capital Management (formerly Och-Ziff Capital Management) has “agreed in principle” to a $136 million settlement with former shareholders of Africo Resources and the DOJ for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Johnson & Johnson discloses FCPA probe
Johnson & Johnson disclosed in a regulatory filing that it is fielding FCPA inquiries from the DOJ and SEC with regard to an investigation into potential bribery and anti-competitive practices in Brazil.
Exelon subsidiary ComEd to pay $200M in lobbying, bribery case
Commonwealth Edison will pay a $200 million fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve a criminal investigation into a years-long bribery scheme concerning lobbying practices in Illinois.
Medical device maker projects $18M to settle FCA violations alleged by former CCO
Evidence of kickbacks and bribes brought to light by a whistleblower and former chief compliance officer has led Merit Medical Systems to reach an estimated $18 million agreement in principle with the DOJ to settle False Claims Act allegations.
SFO secures two Unaoil convictions, but judge critical of director
Following a four-year investigation, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office has secured convictions against two former Unaoil executives for bribes made to win oil services contracts in Iraq, although the presiding judge ordered a review into how SFO Director Lisa Osofsky led the case.
FCPA Resource Guide revision a gold mine for compliance officers
The first update to the SEC and Justice Department’s FCPA Resource Guide since it was published in 2012 includes several clarifications intended to benefit chief compliance officers and in-house counsel.
Novartis’ latest settlements: $729M in kickback charges
A week after resolving FCPA investigations for $347 million, Swiss pharmaceutical drug maker Novartis will pay another $729 million in separate settlements related to kickback schemes.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals to pay $21M to resolve FCPA case
Alexion Pharmaceuticals will pay $21 million to resolve SEC charges that it violated the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the FCPA concerning bribes made by subsidiaries to foreign government officials.
SEC, DOJ close FCPA probes into USANA
Usana Health Sciences disclosed in a regulatory filing that the DOJ and SEC have closed their respective FCPA investigations into the company and will not be filing any charges.
Mexico’s war on corruption an uphill battle for compliance officers
Companies doing business in Mexico face an uphill battle with their anti-corruption compliance efforts as the country’s government struggles to control—and, in many cases, contributes to—its endemic corruption problem.
Novartis to pay $347M to resolve FCPA investigations
Novartis will pay nearly $347 million in combined criminal and civil penalty settlements with U.S. authorities to resolve all FCPA investigations into historical conduct by the company and its subsidiaries.
Swiss AG latest investigating Glencore for corruption
Glencore is under criminal investigation by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland over corruption allegations, adding to the growing list of scrutiny the multinational commodity trading and mining company is facing.
CPE Webcast: Fraud and bribery risks: Preparing for a COVID-19 spike
As businesses and employees work to re-establish stability and reset targets following the disruption caused by coronavirus, they will be more vulnerable to fraud, corruption, and regulatory violations.
A country-by-country analysis of anti-corruption efforts in Latin America
CCOs looking to navigate the fluid corruption risk environment in Latin America will want to review a newly released report on how countries are uncovering, punishing, and deterring corruption—particularly now, amid a pandemic.
Europol launches new financial and economic crime body
Europol has created the new European Financial and Economic Crime Center, with the aim of enhancing operational support to EU member states and EU bodies in the fields of financial and economic crime.
Ericsson appoints DOJ-mandated compliance monitor
Ericsson announced the appointment of Andreas Pohlmann as its independent compliance monitor for the next three years in accordance with a deferred prosecution agreement reached with the Department of Justice over FCPA violations.
Analysis: When a bonus becomes less incentive, and more compromise
Financial crime expert Martin Woods explores what happens when the annual bonus causes employees to disregard their values for want of a dollar.
SFO closes bribery investigation into ABB
The U.K. Serious Fraud Office closed its bribery investigation into power and automation technology provider ABB after concluding the case “did not meet the relevant test for prosecution.”
Josh Drew led by example in getting VEON through DPA
CW’s Compliance Comeback of the Year Josh Drew, group chief ethics & compliance officer at VEON, discusses the challenges he faced when rebuilding the company’s ethics and compliance program under a monitor’s watchful eye.
Herbalife nears $123M FCPA resolution
Dietary supplement maker Herbalife said in a regulatory filing it has set aside a total of $123 million in accrued liability concerning SEC and DOJ investigations into alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in China.
Justice Department to recover more than $49M involving 1MDB
The Department of Justice reached a settlement to recover more than $49 million in assets associated with the international money laundering and bribery scheme involving Malaysia’s state development fund 1MDB.
At urging of compliance committee, Samsung head apologizes for bad behavior
Jay Lee admitted Samsung “has not strictly complied with laws and ethics” at a press conference organized by the company’s new compliance oversight committee.
CPE Webcast: 2020 Anti-bribery and corruption emerging trends
Compliance professionals are all too aware that the third parties they depend on to achieve success pose a significant threat to their organizations for bribery, fraud, and corruption.
e-Book: 2020 Anti-Bribery & Corruption Benchmarking Report
The report explores how companies tackle their third-party risk, use “enhanced due diligence” to boost their ABC programs, and how much and what types of training they employ to tackle risk.
Development bank bans Brazilian company for paying kickbacks
A Brazilian construction company that paid nearly $50 million in kickbacks has been banned from participating in Inter-American Development Bank-funded projects for more than two years.
Analysis: A case study on why following steps on ABC compliance is so important
If there is an A-Z compliance procedure to follow, don’t stop at X or miss out LMN. Adhere to the procedure and preserve the integrity of your firm and those honest people who work within the rules.
Eni to pay $24.5M to resolve FCPA charges
Italian oil company Eni will pay $24.5 million to settle SEC charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act with regard to the award of certain contracts to its former subsidiary Saipem in Algeria.
Ex-exec charged, but Goldman Sachs avoids FCPA liability for due diligence efforts
The SEC announced charges against a former Goldman Sachs exec for violating the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA, but the firm was not charged in the case because of the due diligence measures it took.