back to article SAP pays $3.9m to settle Panama government bribery case

SAP will pay nearly $3.9m after a senior executive was found to have bribed officials in the government of Panama to land lucrative deals. The software giant has agreed to pay $3.7m in profit plus an extra $188,896 in interest. SAP did so without admitting or denying the findings of the regulator that brought the bribery case …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How's that work again...

    SAP pay Govt bribe to make criminal charges for bribery go away?

    1. Captain DaFt

      Re: How's that work again...

      "SAP pay Govt bribe to make criminal charges for bribery go away?"

      Oh no no no no! Bribes are illegal. Laws were passed to make this a fine, and therefore legal.

      If SAP had similarly *ahem* encouraged the Panama Government to make it legal to contribute "company sponsored investments" to local officials, no laws would have been broken in the first place.

      But is was most likely cheaper/faster to do it this way. Costs of business and all that.

  2. Alistair
    Unhappy

    Now, I'm no fan of SAP, or corrupt practices.

    However, the fact of the matter is that The Reg needs to find someone, somewhere, qualified to edit. I now have a headache.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Maybe I'm a bit thick today but what has the US SEC got to do with what went on in Panama? I thought that Panama was a sovereign nation, or is this more of the US trying to be the big bully of the world?

    1. Velv

      SAP has a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and there are international agreements on preventing bribery and corruption in any country, not just where you are listed.

      Could equally be fined in Germany under their listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

    2. Youngone Silver badge

      For any company with ties to the US, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act can be enforced.

      I work for a US owned company and have to do an ethics course every year as I am involved in purchasing.

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