HP fined $58.7M for bribery of Russian government-

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hewlett-Packard Co. pleaded guilty Thursday to felony charges that former employees bribed Russian government officials for a contract, and the company has been fined $58.7 million.

Hewlett-Packard's Russian subsidiary admitted violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a Northern California court Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

The U.S. alleged that the HP division paid $2 million to retain a technology contract with Russian prosecutors.

"In a brazen violation of the FCPA, Hewlett-Packard's Russia subsidiary used millions of dollars in bribes from a secret slush fund to secure a lucrative government contract," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Marshall L. Miller. "Even more troubling was that the government contract up for sale was with Russia's top prosecutor's office."

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140912/us--hewlett-packard-russian_bribes-e3d25929b9.html

[sharp_stick]

1. I was once part of a group

that was sent to Russia to foster potential business ties about 9 years ago.

The requests for bribes began before we left the airport and never stopped until we got on the plane to go home. I half expected the pilot to come back and tell us that he couldn't take off without a certain "gratuity" being met before the fuel hoses could be removed.

Some of these requests were subtle, pretty much saying that we could get a much nicer location if so and so was guaranteed to be the facility director and others were outright requests for cash.

That trip was the biggest waste of time in my career.

[Omaha Steve]

2. I loved my OLD HP

HP went downhill. When Microsoft forced me into something newer than XP, I went ISUS. Corrected to ASUS. Damn hands. Just washed them and can't do a thing with them.

OS

[sharp_stick]

3. Do you mean ASUS?

Do you like it?

The HP I have at home is a POS, it's about 3 years old and I've pretty much had to rebuild it. It was a cheap one but even in that case I'll probably avoid them in the future.

I remember they used to be really good machines but that one just put me off.

[Omaha Steve]

4. We have 2 desk top and one lap top

No problems with any of them. Mine is Windows 8.1 with 64 bit. Very fast for what little I do. Marta likes Intel. I like AMD. No real difference in that regard.

Marta games and works from home. Hers is a pricey 2 year old.

Mine beats the crap out of the PC I have at work.

[Blue_Tires]

5. I haven't been to Russia

but the people I've known who have gone over there for business trips have mostly all said something similar...

About 10-12 years ago there was a hilarious first-person story in the WaPo about this sales rep who went over there to demonstrate his company's latest industrial food canning machine or something...This was in the late 90s when Russia was desperate to modernize and U.S. companies were trying to establish themselves over there, and the Russian businessmen were most impressed at the machine's advancement and efficiency...

Well, long story short, when the sales rep was ready to fly home there was a "paperwork discrepancy" at the airport which prevented him from shipping it back to the states...A thousand bribes, angry phone calls from his boss, and forms filled out later, they never did get it back...