Former compliance officer charges Siemens likely allowed foreign bribes to Chinese and North Korean officials

According to a whistleblower complaint filed recently in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Siemens ignored red flags indicating that it likely paid bribes to Chinese and North Korean officials in the sale of medical equipment. Meng-Lin Liu a former Siemens compliance officer. The case was filed under the Dodd-Frank Act alleging whistleblower retaliation in terminating Liu’s employment in November 2010 for revealing the company wrongdoing. In 2008, Siemens AG paid $800 million to settle charges that it had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act which prohibits bribery of foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. That is the largest settlement in the history of the FCPA. In addition, the company agreed to improve procedures for preventing improper payments that could be used as bribes. If the allegations in Mr. Liu’s complaint are proven to be true, it may result in additional scrutiny of the company by regulators. Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.