Siemens 2007 Annual Report Download - page 282

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282 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(in millions of €, except where otherwise stated and per share amounts)
tion into the allegations involving the Company’s relationship with the former
head of AUB and the AUB has also been included within the scope of the investiga-
tion being conducted by Debevoise. In April 2007, the labor union IG Metall lodged
a criminal complaint against unknown individuals on suspicion that the Company
breached the provisions of Section 119 of the Works Council Constitution Act by
providing undue preferential support to AUB in connection with elections of the
members of the Company’s works councils.
In February 2007, an alleged holder of American Depositary Shares of the Com-
pany led a derivative lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the State of New York
against certain current and former members of the Company’s Managing and
Supervisory Boards as well as against the Company as a nominal defendant, seek-
ing various forms of relief relating to the allegations of corruption and related
violations at Siemens. The suit is currently stayed.
The Company has engaged Debevoise, an independent external law rm, to
conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation to determine whether
anti-corruption regulations have been violated and to conduct an independent
and comprehensive assessment of the compliance and control systems of Siemens.
Debevoise reports directly and exclusively to the Compliance Committee of the
Supervisory Board (formerly the Audit Committee) and is being assisted by foren-
sic accountants from the international accounting rm Deloitte & Touche. Debev-
oise’s investigation of allegations of corruption at the former Com Group, the
Company’s other Groups and at regional Siemens subsidiaries is ongoing.
The Company has conducted an analysis of the impact on the Company’s con-
solidated nancial statements of issues raised by allegations of violations of anti-
corruption legislation. As previously reported, within the former Com Group, the
Company’s other Groups and regional companies a number of Business Consul-
tant Agreements (BCAs) and similar sales-related arrangements have been identi-
ed. The Company has identi ed a large volume of payments made in connection
with these contracts as well as other payments for which the Company has not
been able either to establish a valid business purpose or to clearly identify the
recipient. These payments raise concerns in particular under the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act (FCPA) in the United States, anti-corruption legislation in Germany
and similar legislation in other countries. The payments identi ed were recorded
as deductible business expenses in prior periods in determining income tax provi-
sions. As previously reported, the Company’s investigation determined that cer-
tain of these payments were non-deductible under tax regulations of Germany
and other jurisdictions.