Siemens has co-operated with US and German authories over the case and paid a fine |
US
authorities have charged eight former executives at German industrial giant
Siemens in connection with a $100m (£64m) foreign bribery scheme.
The charges
relate to a $1bn contract to produce national identity cards in Argentina.
Among those
accused are a former member of Siemens central committee and two former heads
of its Argentine unit.
"Today's
indictment alleges a shocking level of deception and corruption," the
Department of Justice said.
In 2008,
Siemens agreed to pay $1.6bn to the US and German authorities to resolve
charges of corrupt practices in connection with the case, and helped in the
investigation of those charged, officials said.
US
assistant attorney general Lanny Breuer said the executives had committed
themselves to paying more than $100m in bribes to high-level Argentine
officials to win the contract.
About $60m
was paid and at least $25m funnelled through the United States, Mr Breuer said.
The former
Siemens executives and agents were indicted by a grand jury in a federal court
in New York and also face charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
They were
charged with conspiracy to violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, wire
fraud and conspiracy to commit money-laundering.
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