Justice Department Weighing Whether to Go Forward on FCPA Sting Prosecutions
A decision lies in the hands of Criminal Division chief Lanny Breuer and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Orthopedics Manufacturer Reaches Deal with DOJ
The possible FCPA violations stem from a 2010 incident in which an employee of a Mexican subsidiary allegedly made improper payments to a Mexican governmental health care entity.
Dutch Freight Manager Admits to Iranian Shipments
A Dutch shipper pleaded guilty Monday to violating U.S. export law by helping ship goods from New Jersey to Iran.
Smith & Nephew Settles Charges of Bribery in Greece
Smith & Nephew plc is Europe’s largest maker of artificial hips and knees. The investigation is part of an ongoing U.S. probe into alleged foreign bribery by medical device manufacturers.
The ‘Next Siemens?’ Maybe Not, Swiss Settlement with Alstom Suggests
Switzerland’s corruption probe Alstom S.A. sparked copycat investigations of the French engineering giant around the globe. But the Swiss effort fizzled.
Government Wants Leniency in Latin Node FCPA Sentencing
The government has requested a 40 percent sentence reduction for three defendants involved in bribing Honduran officials for telecommunications business.
Qualcomm Under FCPA Investigation
The chip maker disclosed the investigation Wednesday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. UPDATED at 1:40 p.m. EST with a statement from Qualcomm.
Democratic Senators Urge SEC To Write Strong Extractive Industries Rule
Five Democratic senators are urging the SEC to require companies to disclose payments companies make to countries for oil, gas and minerals.
Government Exceeded Statute of Limitations in FCPA Case, Defendants Argue
A Florida telecommunications company charged with foreign bribery is arguing that the Justice Department exceeded the statute of limitations when it filed a second superseding indictment.
Mistrial in FCPA Sting Case
The judge in a foreign bribery trial in Washington, D.C., federal court has declared a mistrial after the jury reported it had deadlocked. UPDATED with juror vote counts 3:34 p.m. EST UPDATED with statements from attorneys 6:32 p.m. EST
Acquittals in Gabon Sting Case Are Latest Setback for U.S. FCPA Enforcement
The two acquitted military products brokers wiped away tears as the jury foreman read the verdict.
Judge Shelves Decision on Thai Official’s FCPA Case
USA v. Siriwan is the long-awaited sequel to the 2009 conviction of film impresarios Gerald and Patricia Green, who were accused of kicking back $1.8 million in bribes to the governor of the Thailand Tourism Authority for contracts to organize an international film festival.
Mexico Lost $872 Billion to Crime, Corruption Over Four Decades, Study Finds
A report by Global Financial Integrity tracked illicit financial flows out of Mexico from 1970 to 2010.
SFO Director-Designate Has Background Steering Merged Customs Service
At the newly merged Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), David Green’s firmly delineated the separate roles of investigators and prosecutors. It remains to be seen what his appointment augurs for the SFO.
FCPA Blogs Round-Up: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Should “good faith” trump “respondeat superior,” and will it one day?
Chamber of Commerce Spending on Outside FCPA Lobbyists Tops $1M in 2011
But pressure on Democrats has lifted, and it’s unlikely that any bill will move without bipartisan backing.
Oil Industry Wants SEC To Go Back to Drawing Board on Extractive Industries Rule
Anti-corruption campaigners fear that the push to “re-propose” the long-delayed Dodd-Frank rule is a prelude to it being watered down.
Canadian Oil Company Denies Yemeni Bribery Allegations
Is a Western company caught up in a power struggle in one of the Middle East’s poorest countries?
Prosecutors Want FCPA Violator to Stay Jailed
Prosecutors have refuted a Miami businessman’s claims that he did not bribe foreign officials and have filed to reject his motion for release pending appeal.
Arrest Was Designed to Shatter His Will, 3rd-Round FCPA Sting Defendant Says
A defendant facing foreign bribery charges said a “Hollywood-style arrest” led to coerced statements to interrogators.
TSKJ Cooperators Expect Leniency at Final Sentencings Next Month
The three government cooperators helped the U.S. build foreign bribery cases against joint partners building a liquified natural gas facility at Bonny Island, Nigeria. The last holdout in the case – Marubeni Corporation – settled this month.
FCPA Blogs Round-Up: Will O’Shea Verdict Reverberate?
A key defense lawyer does not see a rush of public companies to go to trial.
New York Man Admits to Iranian Shipment
A New York man trapped in a government sting operation pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to illegally ship carbon fiber to Iran.
Star Witness Knew ‘Almost Nothing,’ O’Shea Judge Said
The government’s key witness in a Texas foreign bribery case “knows almost nothing,” U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said from the bench Monday as he granted a Rule 29 motion for acquittal of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act counts against John J. O’Shea. TRANSCRIPT attached.
John O’Shea Reflects on the Lows and Highs of Two-Year FCPA Battle
After a 10-minute recess on Monday, Judge Lynn Hughes returned with a carefully scripted list of why he was granting the Rule 29 motion for acquittal on the substantive FCPA counts. “I just didn’t see how anyone on that jury could be thinking I did something wrong,” John O’Shea said in an interview with Just Anti-Corruption. A status hearing on Friday will discuss the fate of six remaining counts against the former manager of a Texas-based subsidiary of Swiss engineering firm ABB Ltd.
