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DOJ, SEC Announce FCPA Actions Against U.S. ATM Maker
On October 22, the DOJ and the SEC announced parallel criminal and civil actions against a U.S. company for allegedly violating the FCPA by paying bribes and falsifying documents in connection with selling ATMs to bank customers in China, Indonesia, and Russia. The federal authorities allege that from 2005 to 2010 the company provided approximately $1.8 million of value to employees of its bank customers in China and Indonesia, including state-owned banks, in the form of payments, gifts, and non-business travel. The company allegedly attempted to disguise the benefits by routing the payments through third parties designated by the banks and by recording leisure trips for bank employees as “training” expenses. The government also alleges that from 2005 to 2009, the company entered into false contracts with a distributor in Russia for services that the distributor was not performing. Instead, the distributor allegedly used the approximately $1.2 million in payments to bribe employees of privately-owned Russian banks to secure ATM-related contracts for the company. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, agreeing to pay a $25.2 million penalty, and it consented to a final judgment in the SEC action, pursuant to which it will disgorge approximately $22.97 million, inclusive of prejudgment interest. The company agreed to implement numerous specific changes to its internal controls and compliance systems and to retain a compliance monitor for at least 18 months. The government acknowledged the company’s voluntary disclosure, cooperation, and extensive internal investigation.
Pharmaceutical Companies Resolve DOJ and SEC FCPA Charges
On August 7, the DOJ and the SEC announced the resolution of FCPA allegations against Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer) and two of its subsidiaries, Pfizer H.C.P. and Wyeth LLC. The DOJ announced that it filed a criminal information in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, as well as a deferred prosecution agreement pursuant to which Pfizer H.C.P. admitted to making improper payments to public officials in Russia and other eastern European countries in attempts to influence decisions to approve and register certain pharmaceutical products. Pfizer H.C.P. must pay a $15 million penalty, but the agreement acknowledges Pfizer’s efforts to investigate and self-report the matter, as well as the company’s “significant cooperation” and extensive remedial efforts. Civil charges brought by the SEC through separate complaints against Pfizer and Wyeth involve similar allegations regarding the companies’ conduct in numerous countries. While Wyeth neither admitted nor denied the SEC allegations, the two parties resolved the cases by agreeing to pay a combined $45 million, committing to certain remedial actions, and reporting to the SEC. Like the DOJ, the SEC notes Pfizer’s voluntary disclosure and cooperation. The SEC complaints and the DOJ deferred prosecution agreements are available on BuckleySandler’s FCPA Score Card.