Incident Tag: Bribing & Corruption

European prosecutors take over Belgian probe into Pfizergate

Top European prosecutors are investigating allegations of criminal wrongdoing such as “interference in public functions, destruction of SMS, corruption and conflict of interest” in connection with vaccine negotiations between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the CEO of Pfizer.

Samsung leader Jay Y. Lee given five-year jail sentence for bribery | South Korea’s presidential scandal | Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Heir, Is Arrested on Bribery Charges

Head of South Korea’s Samsung Group, Jay Y. Lee, was sentenced to five years in jail for bribery, hiding assets abroad, embezzlement, concealing criminal proceeds and perjury. Lee was convicted over payments of 43bn won ($36.4m; £30.3m) made to South Korean’s former president’s confidante’s foundations, as well as for giving a horse and several million dollars to assist the equestrian career of her daughter, in anticipation of favours and government support over Samsung’s major merger restructuring.

 

 

Oil Services Companies and a Freight Forwarding Company Agree to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigations and to Pay More Than $156 Million in Criminal Penalties (Noble)

Noble charged on paying approximately $74,000 to a Nigerian freight forwarding agent, acknowledged that certain employees knew that some of the payments would be passed on as bribes to Nigerian customs officials, and admitted that the company falsely recorded the bribe payments as legitimate business expenses in its corporate books, records and accounts. Criminal penalty – $2.59 million.

Oil Services Companies and a Freight Forwarding Company Agree to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigations and to Pay More Than $156 Million in Criminal Penalties (Pride)

Pride paid a total of approximately $800,000 in bribes directly and indirectly to government officials in Venezuela, India and Mexico. The bribes were paid to extend drilling contracts for three rigs operating offshore in Venezuela; to secure a favorable administrative judicial decision relating to a customs dispute for a rig imported into India; and to avoid the payment of customs duties and penalties relating to a rig and equipment operating in Mexico. Criminal penalty – $32.625 million.

Oil Services Companies and a Freight Forwarding Company Agree to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigations and to Pay More Than $156 Million in Criminal Penalties (Tidewater)

Tidewater Marine charged with paying approximately $160,000 in bribes paid through its employees and agents to tax inspectors in Azerbaijan to improperly secure favorable tax assessments, and paying approximately $1.6 million in bribes through Panalpina to Nigerian customs officials to induce the officials to disregard Nigerian customs regulations relating to the importation of vessels into Nigerian waters. Criminal penalty – $7.35 million.

Oil Services Companies and a Freight Forwarding Company Agree to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigations and to Pay More Than $156 Million in Criminal Penalties (Panalpina)

Panalpina pleads guilty on engaging in a scheme to pay bribes to numerous foreign officials on behalf of many of its customers in the oil and gas industry between 2002 and 2007. It paid thousands of bribes totaling at least $27 million to foreign officials in at least seven countries, including Angola, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Russia and Turkmenistan. Criminal penalty – $70.56 million.

 

Corrupt Audits Damage Worker Rights

Two year investigation found incidents of overwhelming corruption including: extortion, accepting bribes, retaliatory audits, transportation requests, food services requests in 10 out of 19 audits conducted by BV.