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Update: Convictions Upheld, Sentences Extended In Romanian Microsoft Bribery Trial

posted by on Tuesday October 25 2016, @11:45PM   
from the money-for-something dept.

canopic jug writes in with details of a court case on the Microsoft licensing corruption scandal in Romania. The blog post is based on reporting from Romanian news outlet Mediafax.

According to the blog post, the trial ended on October 3rd, and investigators found that more than 100 people, including former ministers, the mayor of Bucharest, and various businessmen were involved in this latest corruption scandal involving Microsoft. More than 20 million euros were paid by Microsoft there as bribes. The blog post goes on to say that:

The Romanian court ruled in March 2016 with sentences for 8 years of prison and 9 million euros of asset forfeiture for the 4 persons on the picture [sic]. These sentences were appealed and October 3rd the High Court of Cessation and Justice (HCCJ) confirmed the guilt and increased the sentences to 14 years in prison and 17 million euros of asset forfeiture for these same persons.

Intellinews and The EUObserver have more detail on this story.

These bribery convictions are just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple news outlets are reporting on investigations of bribery in other countries as well as separate investigations by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities And Exchange Commission.

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Original Submission

• DoJ, too, will come after them DoJ, too, will come after them (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 26 2016, @12:57AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 26 2016, @12:57AM (#418788)

  It's illegal for US firms to engage in bribery in foreign countries. Let the hammers drop.

• Re:DoJ, too, will come after them Re:DoJ, too, will come after them (Score: 3, Insightful) by KilroySmith on Wednesday October 26 2016, @01:03AM

  by KilroySmith (2113) on Wednesday October 26 2016, @01:03AM (#418791)

  10 years from now, a $100 million dollar fine will be levied, that the CEO will dislodge from his shoe and pay.

  Parent

  • Re:DoJ, too, will come after them Re:DoJ, too, will come after them (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 26 2016, @01:25AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 26 2016, @01:25AM (#418796)

    There won't be Microsoft in 10 years.

    Parent

    • Re:DoJ, too, will come after them (Score: 5, Funny) by MostCynical on Wednesday October 26 2016, @02:08AM

      by MostCynical (2589) on Wednesday October 26 2016, @02:08AM (#418813) Journal

      Where iz the +1 "delusionally optimistic" mod?

      --
      "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

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    • Re:DoJ, too, will come after them (Score: 2) by cubancigar11 on Wednesday October 26 2016, @10:23AM

      by cubancigar11 (330) on Wednesday October 26 2016, @10:23AM (#418910) Homepage Journal

      People said something similar anout IBM. Then I was born.

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• Re:DoJ, too, will come after them (Score: 3, Interesting) by TheRaven on Wednesday October 26 2016, @02:09PM

  by TheRaven (270) on Wednesday October 26 2016, @02:09PM (#418981) Journal

  Someone pointed out a while ago that the best way to make bribery go away is to make giving a bribe totally legal, but have large penalties for receiving one. This means that anyone giving a bribe can then immediately turn around after it's been accepted and have the recipient indicted. It then means that receiving a bribe becomes a very dangerous activity - there's no mutually assured destruction, because it's completely legal for the person who gave you the bribe so you have no hold over them, but if you took it then you're immediately at a disadvantage.

  --
  sudo mod me up

  Parent