PM:05:50:04/03/2023
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SULAIMANI — The Swedish telecom company Ericsson was fined
$206 million for its violation of a non-prosecution agreement through bribery
schemes in Iraq, Djibouti and China.
The company pleaded guilty to bribery and other wrongdoings
in 2019, paid a penalty of $520.6 million and had an agreement with the US
Attorney’s Office that required the company to report any potential wrongdoings
for the next three years.
Ericsson also paid $540 to the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
The allegations from 2019 involved bribery and falsification
of records in China, Djibouti, Indonesia and Kuwait. However, the Department of
Justice said Ericsson had not provided all information on its dealings in China
and Djibouti, and similar evidence of wrongdoing in Iraq.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
said the US Department of State has contacted the Swedish company several times
since 2019 to warn the company about a breach in their agreement but the
company did not provide details.
The ICIJ said according to a leaked internal report, the
company attempted to receive permission from the Islamic State (ISIS) to work
in a city that was controlled by the group and paid for equipment to be
smuggled into ISIS-held areas.
The investigation has also revealed the Swedish company paid
tens of millions of dollars to keep its business running in Iraq, including
through bribery and corruption.
(NRT Digital Media)