InfoBytes Blog
Baltimore-based investment management firm settles FCPA allegations with DOJ
On June 4, the DOJ announced that a Baltimore-based investment management firm, had entered into a non-prosecution agreement and agreed to pay $64.2 million to resolve FCPA allegations in connection with the firm’s involvement in Libya through a London-based fund purchased by the firm. Between 2004 and 2010, Permal, subsidiary of the Baltimore firm, partnered with a Paris-based multinational bank, “to solicit business from state-owned financial institutions in Libya.” As admitted by the bank in its own resolution with the DOJ, the bank paid bribes of over $90 million through the use of a Libyan broker with respect to 14 investments made by Libyan state-owned financial institutions. For seven of the transactions, the bank made payments to the Libyan broker to benefit the firm, through its subsidiary. The subsidiary managed the investments and earned profits of approximately $31 million.
The firm’s resolution includes a penalty of $32.625 million and disgorgement of $31.617 million. As part of the agreement, the firm agreed to continue to cooperate with the DOJ in related investigations and prosecutions, as well as to enhance its compliance program. According to the DOJ, the resolution is based on factors including the firm’s cooperation in the investigation, as well as the fact that the company “did not voluntarily and timely disclose the conduct at issue.” The DOJ also found that the misconduct was “not pervasive throughout the firm or its subsidiary,” but rather that the bank was responsible for running the scheme, noting that the firm and its subsidiary earned less than one-tenth of the profits earned by the bank.
As FCPA Scorecard previously reported, the firm had announced the near completion of the agreement in a recent SEC filing.