Wednesday, June 30, 2010

SEC Charges California Telecommunications Company With FCPA Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed a settled federal court action against San Jose, Calif.-based telecommunications company Veraz Networks, Inc., alleging that Veraz violated the books and records and internal controls provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The alleged violations stemmed from improper payments made by Veraz to foreign officials in China and Vietnam after the company went public in 2007.

The SEC alleges that Veraz engaged a consultant in China who in 2007 and 2008 gave gifts and offered improper payment together valued at approximately $40,000 to officials at a government controlled telecommunications company in China in an attempt to win business for Veraz. A Veraz supervisor who approved the gifts described them in an internal Veraz email as the "gift scheme." Similarly in 2007 and 2008, the SEC alleges that a Veraz employee made improper payments to the CEO of a government controlled telecommunications company in Vietnam to win business for Veraz.

No comments: