DutchNews, February 19,
2016
Amsterdam-based telecoms company
VimpelCom has agreed to pay $835m to settle Dutch and US charges that it paid
huge bribes to enter the Uzbekistan telecommunications market.
The
Russian-owned company is based in Amsterdam’s Zuidas business district and the
deal is thought to be the biggest ever struck by the Dutch prosecution
department. The payment to the Dutch authorities amounts to $397m.
In total,
VimpelCom paid over $114m in bribes to government officials, the public
prosecution department said in a statement. The bribes were paid to enter the
Uzbek telecom market in 2006 and in connection with obtaining telecommunication
licenses for 3G and LTE frequencies.
Corruption
‘Vimpelcom benefits from the
favorable business climate in The Netherlands. The company must adhere to Dutch
laws and regulations, also when trading abroad,’ the department said.
In
addition, the department is conducting a criminal investigation into several
individuals, one of whom has Dutch nationality. He was arrested in November and
taken into custody, the department said, but released no further details.
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