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Bribery and Bid-Rigging

This archive displays posts tagged as relevant to bribery and bid rigging in U.S. government contracting. You may also be interested in the following pages:

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Swiss-Based Commodities Trading Company Pays $661 Million for FCPA Violations

Posted  03/4/24
Type Writer Typed Out the Word "Corruption"
Last Friday (March 1), the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Swiss-based international commodities trading company Gunvor S.A. pleaded guilty and agreed to pay roughly $661 million to settle charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).  The DOJ's action stemmed from Gunvor's scheme to bribe Ecuadorean officials to secure business with Ecuador’s state-owned oil company Petroecuador. The...

March 1, 2024

Switzerland-based international commodities trading company Gunvor S.A. has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay over $661 million to resolve charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in connection with misconduct in Ecuador.  Over half of the proceeds will cover a criminal monetary penalty, while the remainder is a forfeiture of funds illegally gained through 8 years of bribes to Ecuadorean government officials to secure business with Petroecuador, the state-owned and controlled oil company.  Gunvor will also pay $98 million to Swiss authorities to resolve charges there.  DOJ

A Staggering Number of NYC Housing Authority Employees Charged with Bribery, Extortion

Posted  02/7/24
businessmen shaking hands and other placing money in others pocket
In a massive takedown called the “largest single-day bribery takedown in the history of the Justice Department,” the DOJ recently unsealed “bribery and extortion charges against 70 current and former employees of the New York City Housing Authority (‘NYCHA’).” According to the DOJ, the NYCHA provides housing “to 1 in 17 New Yorkers” and receives “over $1.5 billion in federal funding.”  When...

Top Ten SEC and CFTC Recoveries of 2023

Posted  01/24/24
Foreign Exchange Graph
It was an active year for fraud enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).  Though by no means was it a record year for either regulator in terms of big-ticket wins.  Aside from the CFTC's $1.7 billion recovery from South African crypto company Mirror Trading for foul play with foreign currency transactions, the balance of the Top-10 recoveries was...

Top FCPA Recoveries of 2023

Posted  01/19/24
Mix of Foreign Currency Scattered Around
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) bars payments to foreign officials for any kind of business advantage, such as securing government contracts or other kinds of favorable business treatment.  The statute covers any form of consideration including gifts, meals, travel, and entertainment.  It also imposes strict record-keeping and internal control requirements to prevent falsifying company books and records...

Catch of the Week: SAP SE

Posted  01/16/24
Briefcase Full of Money
This week's Department of Justice (DOJ) Catch of the Week goes to SAP SE (SAP).  On Wednesday (January 10), the German-based software company agreed to pay roughly $220 million to settle DOJ and SEC charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) through bribes to government officials in South Africa and Indonesia. The FCPA bars payments to foreign officials for any kind of business advantage, such...

January 10, 2024

German software company SAP SE (SAP) has agreed to pay over $220 million and enter into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ to resolve allegations of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to government officials in Azerbaijan, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania from at least 2014 to 2022.  The company allegedly paid third parties to pay the bribes, then recorded the bribes as legitimate business expenses in its books and records.  To resolve parallel investigations with other authorities, SAP has agreed to pay almost $100 million to the SEC, which will be offset by a $59 million payment already made to the South African government.  DOJ; SEC

Catch of the Week: Freepoint Commodities

Posted  12/18/23
Government contract fraud whistleblower
This week's Department of Justice (DOJ) Catch of the Week goes to Freepoint Commodities.  Last Thursday (December 14), the Connecticut-based commodities trading company agreed to pay roughly $98 million to settle government charges it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying bribes to Brazilian government officials.  The company also agreed to disgorge roughly $7.6 million to the Commodity Futures...

December 14, 2023

Freepoint Commodities LLC will pay more than $98 million in civil penalties and disgorgement for improperly obtaining and trading on material non-public information. Freepoint paid millions in bribes to government officials in Brazil to obtain highly confidential information related to the purchase and sale of fuel oil. Certain members of Freepoint's oil trading team knew of and took steps to conceal the fraud by using code words, fake names, and private email addresses, all to gain unlawful competitive advantages in oil products trading. DOJ; CFTC

November 20, 2023

Two U.K.-based reinsurance brokers, Tysers Insurance Brokers Limited and H.W. Wood Limited, have agreed to pay $36 million and $22.5 million in criminal penalties respectively for participating in a scheme to bribe Ecuadorian officials through transactions based in Florida.  Tysers—then known as Integro Insurance Brokers Limited—and H.W. Wood were found to have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when they paid $2.8 million in bribes to the chairman of two government-owned insurance companies and three government officials, by way of almost $30 million in commissions paid to third parties.  In addition to the criminal penalties, Tysers will forfeit $10.5 million, and H.W. Wood will forfeit $2.3 million, with H.W. Wood’s penalties reduced due to demonstrated inability to pay.  DOJ
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