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US Justice Department Reports Record Number of Foreign Bribery Cases

Masood Farivar

   Federal prosecutors have brought foreign bribery charges against a
   record number of individuals in 2019, a top Justice Department official
   said Wednesday.

   So far this year, the department has brought international corruption
   charges against 34 individuals and obtained a record 30 guilty pleas by
   individuals in similar cases, BrianBenczkowski, assistant attorney
   general for the criminal division, said. Both numbers are the highest
   on record.

   The figures reflect the Justice Department's recent focus on targeting
   individuals in foreign bribery cases, while encouraging companies to
   report misconduct and cooperate with authorities in exchange for
   leniency.

   FCPA

   The cases were prosecuted under the U.S. anti-foreign bribery law known
   as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA. The law bars
   corporations and their executives from bribing foreign government
   officials to gain a business advantage.

   In recent years, the Justice Department has stepped up enforcement of
   the act, using its broad jurisdiction to target foreign executives and
   companies involved in bribing officials in other countries.

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