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Grimy Times Exposes SAP Exec’s Panama Bribes
A former executive at SAP International Inc. has been sentenced to 22 months in prison for his role in a scheme to bribe Panamanian officials to secure a multimillion-dollar government technology contract.
Vicente Eduardo Garcia, 65, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer of the Northern District of California after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) on August 12, 2015.
Garcia admitted in his plea that he conspired with others to bribe three Panamanian government officials in late 2009 to secure a $14.5 million contract for SAP’s partner. The contract included $2.1 million in SAP software licenses, and Garcia personally received over $85,000 in kickbacks for arranging the bribes.
The scheme involved using sham contracts and false invoices to disguise the true nature of the bribes. Garcia believed that paying such bribes was necessary to secure the initial and any future Panamanian government contracts.
The investigation into the case was led by the FBI and IRS-CI, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which previously announced separate civil charges against Garcia.
The case is a stark reminder of the corrupting influence of corporate greed and the need for strict enforcement of anti-bribery laws. As Grimy Times has reported extensively, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is a critical tool for holding corporations and individuals accountable for their actions.
The SEC settlement between Garcia and the SEC required him to pay disgorgement of $85,965 plus prejudgment interest, and as a result, the United States did not request, and the court did not order, forfeiture in the criminal action.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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