DOJ fines ‘uncooperative’ Beam Suntory $19.6 million for FCPA offenses
Chicago-based spirits maker Beam Suntory Inc.
agreed Tuesday to pay the DOJ $19.6 million to resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act charges for improper payments by its Indian subsidiary.
The company
entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice to settle charges that it conspired to violate the anti-bribery, internal controls, and accounting provisions of the FCPA.
According to the DOJ,
Beam paid bribes to Indian government officials from 2006 to 2012, mostly through third-party promotors and distributors,
to secure business at government-controlled depots and stores.
The scheme
included three high-level Beam executives, including one in the legal department, the DOJ said.
During the bribery scheme,
Beam falsely recorded expenses, including bribes disguised as commission expenses. It also falsified certification letters submitted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the DOJ said.
The FCPA Blog
https://fcpablog.com/2020/10/27/doj-fines-uncooperative-beam-suntory-19-million-for-fcpa-offenses/
Beam Suntory Inc. Agrees to Pay Over $19 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery Case | OPA | Department of Justice