January 19, 2021 | The FCPA Blog

Editors

Harry Cassin
Publisher and Editor

Andy Spalding
Senior Editor

Jessica Tillipman
Senior Editor

Bill Steinman
Senior Editor

Richard L. Cassin
Editor at Large

Elizabeth K. Spahn
Editor Emeritus

Cody Worthington
Contributing Editor

Julie DiMauro
Contributing Editor

Thomas Fox
Contributing Editor

Marc Alain Bohn
Contributing Editor

Bill Waite
Contributing Editor

Shruti J. Shah
Contributing Editor

Russell A. Stamets
Contributing Editor

Richard Bistrong
Contributing Editor

Eric Carlson
Contributing Editor

Raids on Bangkok ‘venues’ turn up police bribe list

Richard L. Cassin November 20, 2014

Authorities raiding two entertainment venues in Thailand’s capital said they found a list of police officers who allegedly took bribes to ignore license violations and illegal sex services.

“A team of 50 police and military officers targeted Khum Phra Ram and the nearby Rider Resort, which opened as an entertainment venue and restaurant, after hearing complaints the operations lacked licenses and were offering sex services,” the Bangkok Post said.… Continue Reading

IKEA’s charitable giving in Russia and the FCPA (Part Three)

Ilya Zlatkin November 19, 2014

I discussed in Part 2 how a donation in line with the interests of deputy governor of Moscow Region, Mikhail Men’, helped IKEA resolve its problems relating to construction of its second store in the Moscow Region.… Continue Reading

2014: The Year of the International Whistleblower

Richard L. Cassin November 19, 2014

The biggest SEC whistleblower award in Fiscal Year 2014 was in September, when the agency authorized a payment of more than $30 million to a whistleblower living outside the United States.… Continue Reading

Taking back from the kleptocrats: Asset recovery burdens of proof

Elizabeth K. Spahn November 19, 2014

Image courtesy of the Stolen Asset Recovery InitiativeCivil, as opposed to criminal, asset forfeiture cases are the subject of heated debates in domestic U.S. law. Many civil libertarians and thoughtful observers of the U.S.… Continue Reading

Corruption and conflict: By the numbers

Mostafa M. Abdelkarim November 19, 2014

Last month, the DOJ’s Leslie Caldwell, described the fight against corruption as “a necessary enforcement action to protect our own national security interests and the ability of our U.S. companies to compete on a global scale.”… Continue Reading

Run-amok compliance officers cost Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi $315 million for sanctions report whitewash

Richard L. Cassin November 18, 2014

The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) Tuesday levied $315 million in penalties against Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) for misleading regulators regarding its transactions with Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, and other sanctioned entities.… Continue Reading

Hungary protesters: ‘Fire our tax collector the Americans call corrupt’

Anita Komuves November 18, 2014

Ildikó Vida, chief of Hungary’s tax authorityMore than 10,000 Hungarians protested in front of the national Parliament in Budapest Monday evening. Besides expressing their anger toward Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government, their main demand was that the head of the tax authority, Ildikó Vida, resign.… Continue Reading

IKEA’s charitable giving in Russia and the FCPA (Part Two)

Ilya Zlatkin November 18, 2014

This is the second post in a series analyzing IKEA’s charitable contributions during its expansion efforts in Russia during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the first post, I talked about Lennart Dahlgren’s memoir, Despite Absurdity: How I Conquered Russia While It Conquered Me, which has not been published in English.… Continue Reading

SEC sanctions ex FLIR employees for Saudi Arabia bribes

Richard L. Cassin November 18, 2014

Image courtesy of FLIRThe Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday it sanctioned two former employees in the Dubai office of a U.S.-based defense contractor for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by taking government officials in Saudi Arabia on a “world tour” to help win business for the company.… Continue Reading

Eighteen arrested in Brazil raids on Petrobras

Nicolas Torres November 18, 2014

Brazilian police arrested 18 people Friday including a former engineering director as part of a corruption probe into state owned oil giant Petrobras.

More than 300 police and 50 tax officials raided offices across five states in Brazil including the offices of construction and engineering firms Oldebrechtand and Mendes Junior, the BBC said.… Continue Reading

Iran talks: Due for another extension?

Nina Mohseni November 18, 2014

U..S. Secretary of State John Kerry (Image courtesy of the U,S. State Department)The deadline for a nuclear deal and the expiration of temporary sanctions relief is fast approaching — November 24 — extended from the original July 20, 2014 deadline.… Continue Reading

FIFA turmoil and the continued fall out

Thomas Fox November 18, 2014

Last week FIFA announced that it had considered the investigation into allegations of corruption into the awarding of the 2018 World Cup tournament to Russia and the 2022 World Cup tournament to Qatar and found “any improper behaviour in the bidding process for the tournament was ‘of very limited scope.’”… Continue Reading