FCPA Scorecard Blog
SEC Settles FCPA Claims Against Water Management Company
On October 27, the SEC settled administrative proceedings via a cease and desist order against Layne Christensen Co., a Texas-based water management company, related to FCPA violations from operations in Africa. The SEC's order cited over $800,000 in improper payments to officials in Mali, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania, related to tax liabilities, customs clearance, expatriate work permits, and border entry. Some of those payments were as small as $4. The company agreed to pay over $4,750,000 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest, and a $375,000 penalty. The SEC cited the company's self-disclosure, remediation, and "significant cooperation" as reasons for a smaller penalty. In August, the company announced that the DOJ had declined to file charges related to the alleged FCPA violations. Of note, the company has in the past tied its discovery of the irregular payments to an update of its FCPA policy. Periodic evaluations and updates of FCPA policies are a necessary component of any compliance program, but also represent opportunities to evaluate past conduct and uncover issues.