BERLIN (AFP) — German engineering group Siemens will fight corruption by offering to spare managers who denounce illegal practices from harsh sanctions, a spokesman said Thursday.
"The company will impose no heavy sanctions, such as firing or demand of compensation, against staff who, before January 31, 2008, completely and honestly inform of violations or irregularities in accounts," said a letter sent to senior management teams, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
Siemens nontheless "reserves the right to impose lighter sanctions such as a warning, transfer, ethical training or changes of function."
The group has been shaken by a widespread corruption scandal allegedly involving payments made in several countries to obtain contracts.
Siemens has admitted its own internal investigations have uncovered 420 million euros (606 million dollars) in "questionable payments" dating back to 1999, although press reports say the sum involved exceeded 1.5 billion euros.
In early October, Siemens agreed to pay a fine of 201 million euros to end an investigation into corruption in its telecommunications division.
But the US Securities and Exchange Commission has opened its own enquiry into business practices at Siemens, which lists shares in the United States, raising a risk of possible heavy punitive damages there.
The Siemens letter said the amnesty did not concern senior directors such as members of the board and that the company could not prevent possible judicial proceedings.
Two directors, former boss Klaus Kleinfeld and supervisory board president Heinrich von Pierer have already left the group as a result of the telecoms affair.
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