Image courtesy of NCR CorporationHere’s what ATM-maker NCR Corporation said in its SEC filing (Form 8-K) this month about ongoing FCPA and OFAC investigations:
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In 2012, NCR received anonymous allegations from a purported whistleblower regarding certain aspects of the Company’s business practices in China, the Middle East and Africa. The principal allegations related to the Company’s compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and federal regulations that prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in certain activities in Syria. NCR promptly retained experienced outside counsel and began an internal investigation of those allegations that was completed in 2013.
. . . On August 31, 2012, the Board of Directors received a demand letter from an individual shareholder demanding that the Board investigate and take action in connection with certain of the whistleblower allegations. The Board formed a Special Committee to investigate those matters, and that Special Committee also separately retained experienced outside counsel and completed an investigation in 2013. . . .
With respect to Syria, in 2012 NCR voluntarily notified the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of potential violations and ceased operations in Syria, which were commercially insignificant. The notification related to confusion stemming from the Company’s failure to register in Syria the transfer of the Company’s Syrian branch to a foreign subsidiary and to deregister the Company’s legacy Syrian branch, which was a branch of NCR Corporation.
With respect to the FCPA, the Company made a presentation to the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) providing the facts known to the Company related to the whistleblower’s FCPA allegations, and advising the government that many of these allegations were unsubstantiated. The Company is responding to a subpoena of the SEC and requests of the DOJ for documents and information related to the FCPA, including matters related to the whistleblower’s FCPA allegations. . . .
. . . in early 2013 the Company and the Special Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors each completed their respective internal investigations regarding the anonymous allegations received from a purported whistleblower in 2012 regarding certain aspects of the Company’s business practices in China, the Middle East and Africa. The principal allegations related to the Company’s compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and federal regulations that prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in certain activities in Syria.
With respect to Syria, in January 2013, the Company received a wind down license from OFAC that permits the Company to take measures required to wind down its past operations in Syria. The Company also submitted a detailed report to OFAC regarding this matter, including a description of the Company’s comprehensive export control program and related remedial measures.
The Company’s investigations of the whistleblower’s FCPA allegations identified a few opportunities to strengthen the Company’s comprehensive FCPA compliance program, and remediation measures were proposed and are being implemented.
In addition, on January 23, 2013, upon the recommendation of the Special Committee following its review, the Board of Directors adopted a resolution rejecting the shareholder demand that the Company received by letter on August 31, 2012 related to the whistleblower’s OFAC and FCPA allegations. As part of its resolution, the Board determined, among other things, that the officers and directors named in the demand had not breached their fiduciary duties and that the Company will not commence litigation against the named officers and directors. The Board further resolved to review measures proposed and implemented by management to strengthen the Company’s compliance with trade embargos, export control laws and anti-bribery laws.
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SEC filing courtesy of the ethiXbase GRC Database.
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