Layne’s Africa Payments Disclosure

From the FCPA Blog members area, here’s the latest FCPA disclosure from water management company Layne Christensen.

The disclosure appeared in the company’s Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on September 10, 2012:

In connection with the Company updating its Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) policy, questions were raised internally in late September 2010 about, among other things, the legality of certain payments by the Company to agents and other third parties interacting with government officials in certain countries in Africa. The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors engaged outside counsel to conduct an internal investigation to review these payments with assistance from outside accounting firms. The internal investigation has found documents and information suggesting that improper payments, which may violate the FCPA and other local laws, were made over a considerable period of time, by or on behalf of, certain foreign subsidiaries of the Company to third parties interacting with government officials in Africa relating to the payment of taxes, the importing of equipment and the employment of expatriates. We have made a voluntary disclosure to the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding the results of our investigation and we are cooperating with the DOJ and the SEC in connection with their review of the matter.

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