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Friday Roundup

By on July 20, 2012 in Burma, Environmental Issues, FCPA Inc., FCPA Sentences, Haiti Teleco Enforcement Actions, Insurance Industry, Myanmar, Patrick Joseph, Wal-Mart

Burma with conditions, the SEC lawyer heading up the Wal-Mart inquiry, connections between foreign environmental crimes and corruption, FCPA Inc. marketing, adding to the Haiti Teleco Roundup, and a new entrant to the FCPA space.  It’s all here in the Friday roundup.

Burma With Conditions

Yesterday Miller Chevalier released this informative alert concerning business opportunities in Burma.  As noted in the alert, the U.S. Government recently “enacted measures that dramatically ease the Burmese Sanctions Regulations (“BSR”) that has been in place for over 15 years. On July 11, 2012, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) authorized new investments and the exportation of U.S. financial services into Burma for the first time since 1997 and 2003 respectively through the issuance of two new general licenses.”

As noted in the alert, on the same day that OFAC released the two new general licenses, the State Department published draft reporting requirements [here] relating to investment in Burma.”  Pursuant to the draft reporting requirements, “any U.S. person whose aggregate investment in Burma exceeds $500,000” must provide information regarding, among other things, its policies and procedures as they relate to its operations and supply chain in Burma concerning, among other things, “policies and procedures on anti-corruption in Burma.”  The State Department document specifically references the OECD Guidelines, Section VII. Combating Bribery, Bribe Solicitation and Extortion [here], and the OECD Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics, and Compliance.” [here].

It’s a bit ironic isn’t it.  A company seeking to do business in Burma can obtain the necessary U.S. government licenses by disclosing its pre-existing FCPA compliance policies and procedures consistent with best practices guidance, but if any employee in its organization acts inconsistent with those policies and procedures without management or senior executive knowledge, the U.S. government may criminally prosecute the organization subject only to the non-reviewable, opaque, internal discretion of DOJ enforcement attorneys.  See here for “Revisiting a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance Defense.”

SEC Attorney Sees “The Spotlight As An Opportunity”

This recent Texas Lawbook article profiles Michael King (Assistant Director of Enforcement with the SEC’s Forth Worth office) reportedly heading up the SEC’s Wal-Mart inquiry.  King is quoted in the article as saying he views “the spotlight as an opportunity.”  Other lawyers quoted in the article stated as follows.  “I think King is under tremendous pressure to make Wal-Mart the poster child for what happens when corporations violate [the] Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and then don’t self report.”

Am I the only one alarmed when a government enforcement attorney uses the word “spotlight” and “opportunity” in the same sentence?

An interesting tidbit discussed in the article is that King also headed up the SEC’s enforcement actions against Panalpina and Pride International (see here and here for prior posts).  These enforcement actions, as well as others in the so-called CustomsGate actions, reached the outer bounds of the FCPA (and likely involved conduct Congress did not seek to capture in passing the FCPA) and it is likely the same result will occur in any Wal-Mart action as I discussed in this previous post.

FCPA Inc. Marketing

“Firms face increasing exposure to anti-bribery and corruption laws and regulations. Laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) have been in place in the U.S. for 35 years.  Despite this length of time, each year shows increasing non-compliance and growing fines, penalties and judgments by the U.S. Department of Justice.  […] The financial impact is more significant than the fine alone. Investigation and litigation costs can easily equal the cost of the fine itself. The firm must then also bear the weight of interaction with a corporate monitor to validate its compliance program for the next 10 to 20 years [really, show me an FCPA monitor or FCPA NPA or DPA that has a 10 to 20 year term] and report to the Federal government. Not to mention the reputation and brand impact that bribery and corruption has upon the firm. If the FCPA is not enough, the United Kingdom approved the U.K. Bribery Act (UKBA) legislation in 2010, which went into force in July 2011.  This anti-corruption law brings broader scope and implications to anti-corruption compliance.  […] This is the era of the corporate bounty hunter.  Government is increasingly turning to insiders (e.g., employees), incenting them to report wrongdoing and non-compliance.  […] In an era of increased scrutiny and judgments for anti-corruption, this is a significant concern that keeps executives, the board, legal and compliance professionals up at night.”

So writes AccuitySolutions in a recent white paper titled “Addressing Anti-Bribery and Corruption Compliance.”

The solution, why of course ComplianceMAX and the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Solution “a flexible compliance management platform. The Solution eases the compliance burden by delivering operational effectiveness, human and financial efficiency and agility to compliance processes. The solution enables a firm to manage anti-bribery and corruption programs including monitoring and enforcing policy through workflow management; screening and tracking of high-risk entities and relationships; reporting and communicating compliance issues; and ensuring a state of readiness for inspections and audits.”

Next.

“The US FCPA and UK Bribery Act are far-reaching acts; they reach deep into the organization, leaving almost no part of the business untouched. The acts are taken very seriously both by governments, as well as by the general public. There is little empathy to bribes in the general public. This makes non-compliance, more than many other acts, a reputational risk in itself.”

So writes BWise in a recent white paper titled “US FCPA and UK Bribery Act.”

The solution, why of course The BWise GRC [Governance, Risk and Compliance] Platform “with a best-in-class method to address corruption and bribery, and achieve company-wide compliance and transparency.” (See here).

Next.

Another entrant into the FCPA insurance market (see here and here for previous posts).

Navigators recently announced (here) that “its Navigators Pro division has introduced “Side A Global InNAVation,” a directors and officers (D&O) liability policy to address emerging global risks. This new policy offers dedicated excess coverage for individual directors and officers for specific non-indemnifiable claims, including where the company they serve is insolvent. The policy provides coverage for civil fines and penalties, where insurable by law, when they are assessed pursuant to Section 308 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act or similar laws.”

Finally, an informative white paper (here) by FTI Consulting Technology titled “E-Discovery Strategies for International Anti-Bribery Investigations.”  The paper discusses the “complexity of issues that may arise during an international anti-bribery investigation” such as data privacy laws, blocking statutes, secrecy laws and ill-defined privilege rules” that are a “common feature of an FCPA investigation.”  And by the way “FTI Technology helps clients manage the risk and complexity of e-discovery” and collaborates with clients to develop and implement defensible e-discovery strategies with keen focus on the productivity of document review.”

It truly is an FCPA world.

The Lacey Act Meets the FCPA

The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking in wildlife and plant products in violation of foreign law.

Arnold & Porter attorneys Marcus Asner, Samuel Witten, and Jacklyn DeMar write in “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Overseas Environmental Crimes: How Did We Get Here and What Happens Next?” (Bloomberg Law – see here) as follows.

“Environmental regulation by any country creates a series of touch points between the private sector and government authorities, any one of which may provide an opportunity and a temptation for an unscrupulous employee or agent of a company to seek to corruptly influence a government official. Opportunities for corruption occur, for example, from the moment officials decide how to regulate local natural resources through laws and regulations; how and when they decide who may harvest resources and in what amounts; how permit requests are reviewed; and how local laws are actually enforced in practice. Each point of contact creates an opportunity for offering or making bribes or otherwise seeking improper influence.”

The authors further state as follows.  “Though there is no explicit statutory link between the Lacey Act and the FCPA, the possibilities are endless: Potential bribe takers in forestry and fishery schemes could run the gamut from the police, to forestry and fishery officials, to guards, to regulators, to customs and export officials, and even to officials at state-owned companies. All of these are government officials within the meaning of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. While there has been no public case charging both Lacey Act and FCPA violations thus far, we believe such investigations may well be just around the corner, and, in any event, responsible companies should do what it takes to protect themselves from the risks.”

Haiti Teleco Roundup

This recent post summarizing the expansive Haiti Teleco related enforcement actions has been updated to reflect Patrick Jospeh’s recent 366 day sentence.  Joseph, an alleged “foreign official” at Haiti Teleco previously pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in connection with the bribery scheme.  As noted in this recent Wall Street Journal Corruption Currents post by Chris Matthews, Joseph was also ordered to forfeit nearly $1 million.

FCPA Monitor

Rajat Soni recently launched FCPA Monitor (here).  FCPA Monitor examines news and cases about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act of 2010.  Soni is an attorney with several years of experience conducting global internal investigations related to the FCPA.  He has worked on large FCPA investigations including those arising from the UN Oil-for-Food Program and Siemens AG.

*****

A good weekend to all.

Haiti Teleco Roundup

By on March 22, 2012 in Amadeus Richers, Antonio Perez, Carlos Rodriguez, Cecilia Zurita, Cinergy Telecommunications, FCPA Sentences, FCPA Trials, Fusion Telecommunications, Haiti, Haiti Teleco Enforcement Actions, IDT Corporation, Jean Fourcand, Jean Rene Duperval, Joel Esquenazi, Juan Diaz, Marguerite Grandison, Patrick Joseph, Robert Antoine, Washington Cruz

Last week, the DOJ announced (here) that Jean Rene Duperval (a former director of international relations for Haiti Teleco) was “convicted by a federal jury on all counts for his role in a scheme to launder bribes paid to him by two Miami-based telecommunications companies.”

Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer stated as follows.  “Mr. Duperval was convicted by a Miami jury of laundering $500,000 paid to him as part of an elaborate bribery scheme.  As the director of international relations for Haiti’s state-owned telecommunications company, Duperval doled out business in exchange for bribes and then used South Florida shell companies to conceal his crimes.  This Justice Department is committed to stamping out corruption wherever we find it.”  Duperval is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21st.

The Haiti Teleco case (minus the manufactured and now former Africa Sting case) is the largest in FCPA history in terms of defendants charged – 13.  Below is a brief summary of the actions.

Individuals Charged With FCPA and/or Related Offenses

Antonio Perez.  In April 2009, Perez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA.  As noted in this prior post, in January 2010, he was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

Juan Diaz.  In May 2009, Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA.  As noted in this prior post, in July 2010, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

Jean Fourcand.  As noted in this DOJ release, in February 2010, Fourcand pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and transmitting bribe monies in the Haiti Teleco scheme.  In May 2010, Fourcard was sentenced to 6 months in prison.

Joel Esquenazi and Carlos Rodriguez.  As noted in this prior post, in August 2011, Esquenazi and Rodriguez were convicted by a jury for conspiracy to violate the FCPA, FCPA violations, and other offenses.  As noted in this prior post, in October 2011, Esquenazi was sentenced to 180 months in prison and Rodriguez was sentenced to 84 months in prison.  As noted below, Esquenazi and Rodriguez are appealing their convictions to the 11th Circuit.

Marguerite Grandison.  As noted in this DOJ release, in December 2009, Grandison was charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and commit wire fraud, seven counts of FCPA violations, one count conspiracy to commit money laundering and 12 counts of money laundering.  According to a recent docket search, in February 2012, Grandison entered a not guilty plea and shortly thereafter the docket states as follows – “docket restricted/sealed until further notice.”

Washington Vasconez Cruz, Amadeus Richers and Cecilia Zurita.  These individuals (associated with Cinergy Telecommunications) are fugitives according to the DOJ.

“Foreign Officials” Charged With Non-FCPA Offenses

Duperval – see above.

Patrick Joseph. As noted in this prior post, the former director of international relations at Haiti Teleco pleaded guilty in February 2012 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In July 2012, he was sentenced to 366 days in prison.

Robert Antoine.  As noted in this prior post, the former director of international affairs at Haiti Teleco pleaded guilty in March 2010 to conspiracy to commit money laundering.  In June 2010, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison.

Entity Charged

Cinergy Telecommunications.  As noted in this prior post, in February the DOJ moved to dismiss charges against Cinergy because it is a non-operational entity with no assets of any real value.

*****

Carlos Rodriguez and Joel Esquenazi are appealing their convictions to the 11th Circuit.  See here for the prior post regarding Rodriguez and his appellate counsel.  Recently, T. Markus Funk and Michael Sink (here and here of Perkins Coie) began representing Esquenazi in connection the appeal.  Funk, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago and US State Department lawyer co-chairs the ABA’s Global Anti-Corruption Task Force (here).

*****

This prior post discussed Haiti Teleco’s other preferred providers – namely IDT Corp. and Fusion Telecommunications – and linked to a recent Wall Street Journal article titled the “Looting of Haiti Teleco.”  The WSJ article was shortly countered with this post by Lucy Komisar.

Friday Roundup

By on February 10, 2012 in Anything of Value, Compliance Defense, FCPA Reform, FCPA Related Charges, General Electric, Haiti, Haiti Teleco Enforcement Actions, Iraq, John Joseph O’Shea, Noisy Exit, Patrick Joseph, Travel Act, Whistleblowers

From the dockets, an FCPA compliance defense – yes or no, hiring a woman closely associated with a foreign official, and a focus on the FCPA’s “red-haired stepchild” – it’s all here in the Friday Roundup.

From the Dockets

Last month when Judge Lynn Hughes dismissed, at the close of the DOJ’s case, the FCPA charges against John Joseph O’Shea (see here for the prior post), it was only a partial victory as O’Shea still faced non-FCPA charges.  Complete victory is imminent as yesterday the DOJ filed a motion to dismiss (here) the remaining charges (conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction) against O’Shea.

In July 2011, Patrick Joseph (a former general director for telecommunications at Haiti Teleco and thus a “foreign official” according to the DOJ) was added to the extensive Haiti Teleco case.  (See here for the prior post).  Because the FCPA does not apply to bribe recipients, the DOJ charged Joseph with a non-FCPA offense: one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Earlier this week, Joseph pleaded guilty to the charges (see here).  Pursuant to the plea agreement, Joseph agreed to forfeit approximately $956,000.  It is clear from the plea agreement that Joseph was likely an early cooperator in the Haiti Teleco case as the plea agreement refers to a June 2009 proffer agreement with the DOJ.  Many of the other individual defendants in the Haiti Teleco case were charged in December 2009 (see here).  The plea agreement requires Joseph’s continued cooperation and later this month a trial is to begin as to other defendants in the wide-ranging Haiti Teleco case.

FCPA Compliance Defense – Yes or No?

That is the title of a free webcast on February 21st to be hosted by Bruce Carton’s Securities Docket (see here to sign up and for more information).  I will be discussing my  paper “Revisiting a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance Defense”and will argue in favor of Congress creating an FCPA compliance defense.  On the other side of the issue, Howard Sklar (Senior Counsel, Recommind and a frequent commentator on FCPA issues at, among other places, his Open Air Blog) will argue that Congress should not include a compliance defense to violations of the FCPA.

Former Employee Alleges FCPA Issues at GE

As previously reported by Chris Matthews at Wall Street Journal Corruption Currents (see here) Khaled Asadi (a dual U.S. and Iraqi citizen) who was previously employed by G.E. Energy (USA) LLC (“GE Energy”) as its Country Executive for Iraq, located in Amman, Jordan, has filed a civil complaint (here) in the Southern District of Texas against G.E. Energy.   GE Energy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Company (“GE”).

The complaint alleges that G.E. harassed, pressured Asadi to vacate his position, and ultimately terminated him after he informed his supervisor and G.E.’s Ombudsperson “regarding potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act committed by G.E. during negotiations for a lucractive, multi-year deal with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity.”  The substance of Asadi’s complaint is that “on or about June of 2010 Mr. Asadi was alerted by a source in the Iraqi Government that GE had hired a woman closely associated with the Senior Deputy Minister of Electricty (Iraq) to curry favor with the Ministry while in negotiation for a Sole Source Joint Venture Contract with the Ministry of Electricity. (According to the complaint, the Joint Venture Agreement between GE and the Ministry of Electricity was signed in Baghdad on December 30, 2010 and that the exclusive materials and repairs provision is estimated to be valued at $250,000,000 for the seven year agreement.)

Hiring friends, family members, etc. of a “foreign official” at the request of the ‘foreign official” has been the basis, in part, for previous FCPA enforcement actions – particularly if the hired individual was not qualified for the position, did not engage in any meaningful work, or was paid an unreasonably high salary.  For instance, the 2011 FCPA enforcement action against Tyson Foods (see here for the prior post) involved, in part, allegations that a company subsidiary placed the wives of Mexican “foreign officials” on its payroll and provided them with “a salary and benefits, knowing that the wives did not actually perform any
services” for the company.

In the WSJ Corruption Currents article, a GE spokesman stated as follows.  “Mr. Asadi’s termination had absolutely nothing to do with any allegations he is making.  Regarding our contracts in Iraq, GE followed all requirements and his allegations are false.”

Travel Act Readings

A few informative Travel Act readings to pass along.

In this article from Thomson Reuters News & Insight, Mike Emmick (Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton) calls the Travel Act the “FCPA’s red-haired stepchild” and says that in conducting an internal investigation “there are some additional rocks to flip over” before celebrating findings of no payments to “foreign officials.”

In this article from Bloomberg Law Reports, John Rupp and David Fink (Covington & Burling) note that a “move by U.S. authorities to target commercial bribery robustly is a distinct possibility.”  The piece discusses the laws that could be used by U.S. authorities to prosecute foreign commercial bribery.”

*****

A good weekend to all.

Haiti Teleco – From Stunning To Strange

By on August 31, 2011 in Carlos Rodriguez, FCPA Jurisprudence, FCPA Trials, Foreign Official, Haiti Teleco Enforcement Actions, Joel Esquenazi, Patrick Joseph

A post earlier this week (see here) highlighted the motion by Carlos Rodriguez and Joel Esquenazi for a judgment of acquittal or a new trial based on Jean Max Bellerive’s (Prime Minister of Haiti) July 26, 2011 signed statement that stated, among other things, that  “Teleco has never been and until now is not a state enterprise.”

In a strange turn of events, on August 25th, a day after the motion, the Prime Minister penned a declaration that was filed by the DOJ Tuesday in the case.  See here.  In the declaration, the Prime Minister said that he did not know his July 26th statement “was going to be used in criminal legal proceedings in the United States or that it was going to be used in support of the argument that […] Teleco was not part of the Public Administration of Haiti.”  Referring to his July 26th statement, the Prime Minister said “that document had been signed strictly for internal purposes and to be used in support of the on-going modernization process of Teleco.”

In the statement, the Prime Minister continues as follows.  “Even though the facts mentioned in the [July 26th statement] are truthful, now that I know the purpose for which they were used, I wish to explain how they might lead to confusion.”  Backtracking from his original statement, the Prime Minister says that his prior statement can be “confusing” because “it omits the fact that, after the initial creation of Teleco and prior to its modernization, it was fully funded and controlled by BRH [Bank of the Republic of Haiti], which is a public entity of the Haitian state.”

Among other things, the Prime Minister states as follows.  “… [T]he nomination of the Director General and of the Board members of Teleco has always been done by Decision of the President of the Republic and been countersigned by the Prime Minister and other ministers concerned.”  “Prior to the modernization process, Teleco’s income was to be used by BRH for public purposes.  Teleco’s debts were also borne by BRH.  Teleco does not pay taxes or import duties.  Teleco also benefits from a State monopoly authorized for land-line telephone services in Haiti.  Prior to its modernization, 97% of Teleco belonged to the Haitian State, which nevertheless controlled it in 100%.  These facts are all known to the public and to me.”

Does the Prime Minister of Haiti routinely monitor U.S. legal proceedings or was the origin of the Prime Minister’s August 25th declaration the result of government to government communications?  The Prime Minister’s declaration includes this final paragraph.  “Finally, the Government of Haiti has always supported and will continue to support the Government of the United States in its efforts to fight against corruption, especially in light of the fact that such actions violate Haitian laws.  Haiti has been the victim of such illegal actions that have resulted in loss of revenue for Haiti.”

If the Prime Minister’s original July 26th statement was meant “strictly for internal purposes” how did it surface in the Haiti Teleco FCPA proceedings?  As this document indicates, the DOJ’s cover letter of August 10th to defense counsel indicates that the DOJ received the statement “from Mr. Paul Calli in connection with the charges pending against Patrick Joseph.”  Calli (here) represents Joseph (a former general director for telecommunications at Haiti Teleco) who was criminally charged in July with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the Haiti Teleco matter.  (See here for the prior post).

The Case That Just Keeps On Giving

By on July 20, 2011 in 2011 Enforcement Actions, Amadeus Richers, Antonio Perez, Carlos Rodriguez, Cinergy Telecommunications, DOJ Enforcement Action, Executive Enforcement Action, Haiti Teleco Enforcement Actions, Individual Enforcement Action, Jean Fourcand, Jean Rene Duperval, Joel Esquenazi, Juan Diaz, Marguerite Grandison, Patrick Joseph, Robert Antoine, Washington Cruz

Last week, the Haiti Teleco case netted additional defendants as the DOJ announced (here) a superseding indictment in the never-ending enforcement action. Named in the superseding indictment (here) are:

Cinergy Telecommunications Inc. (a privately-held telecommunications company incorporated in Florida, charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering);

Washington Vasconez Cruz (the president of Cinergy, charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering);

Amadeus Richers (a former director of Cinergy, charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to commit wire fraud, six counts of FCPA violations, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering);

Patrick Joseph (a former general director for telecommunications at Haiti Teleco and thus a “foreign official” according to the DOJ, charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering);

Jean Rene Duperval (a former director of international relations for telecommunications at Haiti Teleco and thus a “foreign official” according to the DOJ, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering); and

Marguerite Grandison (the former president of Telecom Consulting Services Corp., and Duperval’s sister, charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering.

Duperval and Grandison were previously charged in the case in December 2009 (see here).

With this latest development, the Haiti Teleco case has become, other than the manufactured Africa Sting enforcement action, the largest FCPA enforcement action in history – in terms of number of defendants – 12. In addition to those listed above, the following individuals were also charged: Antonio Perez, Joel Esquenazi, Juan Diaz, Robert Antoine, Jean Fourcand, and Carlos Rodriguez.

The Haiti Teleco case stands in stark contrast to many corporate FCPA enforcement actions (enforcement actions that sometimes involve tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in bribe payments) that yield no individual enforcement actions. See here for the prior post discussing the numbers from 2010 and thus far this year.

All bribery and corruption of course is bad, but does approximately $1 million in alleged bribe payments in the Haiti Teleco case justify the largest real FCPA enforcement action in history?

I previously observed (here) in connection with the Haiti Teleco case that often the DOJ resolves seemingly clear-cut instances of corporate bribery and corruption involving tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in bribe payments (per the government’s own evidence) without FCPA anti-bribery charges and without charging any corporate employees. In other cases, often relatively minor ones, the DOJ comes out with guns-a-blazing.

To call it inconsistent law enforcement is an understatement.

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