The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will look into a foreign news report claiming that French telecommunications company Alcatel Lucent SA had paid bribes to win business in several countries including Malaysia.
It would also seek information on the company’s claim that Malaysian government officials were involved in corruption with regards to telecommunication companies’ contract awards.
“The MACC views the allegation seriously and will check with the relevant parties to get the actual facts before taking the necessary action,” it said in a statement today.
The MACC has also advised the media not to make any speculations on the matter before details on the allegation have been verified.
On Monday, Reuters reported that Alcatel has agreed to pay more than US$137 million (RM428.8 million) to settle charges in the US that it paid millions of dollars in bribes to foreign officials to win business in Latin America and Asia.
The company was accused of making payments to government officials in countries including Costa Rica, Honduras, Taiwan and Malaysia to win or keep contracts worth tens of millions of dollars, said the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department.
Alcatel was charged with two counts of violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement.
Three of its subsidiaries agreed to plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery law. -The Sun
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