Cristián Francos was quoted in Clarín on the Trump administration's decision to pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Cristián Francos, abogado especialista en anticorrupción y delitos financieros complejos, socio de la firma Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss de Washington, dijo a Clarín que “no debería a haber un efecto inmediato ni automático en los programas anticorrupción de las empresas multinacionales que operen en distintos países del mundo".
Señaló que "el terreno que se ganó y las mejores prácticas internacionales van a quedar al menos por un tiempo. Dudo mucho que de repente las empresas empiecen a sobornar a todo el mundo, sobre todo porque en cuatro años puede cambiar el enfoque” .
Francos afirmó que "usando la discrecionalidad que tiene el Departamento de Justicia para investigar o no una alegación de corrupción, la aplicación de FCPA al menos se va a suspender. O sea que los recursos limitados que tiene el gobierno de EE.UU. para investigar no se van a usar por un tiempo para aplicar esta ley".
"Quizá más para adelante, si EE.UU. no investiga a la empresa o individuo que paga un soborno, habrá muchas menos pruebas de corrupción para investigar a un funcionario de cualquier gobierno que reciba coimas. Lamentablemente, el funcionario que reciba sobornos podría tener menos chances de ser investigado”, señaló Francos.
//
Cristián Francos, a lawyer specializing in anti-corruption and complex financial crimes and a partner at the Washington-based firm Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss, told Clarín that “there should not be an immediate or automatic effect on the anti-corruption programs of multinational companies operating in different countries around the world.”
He said that “the ground that was gained and the best international practices will remain at least for a while. I highly doubt that companies will suddenly start bribing everyone, especially since in four years the approach may change.”
Francos said that “using the discretion that the Department of Justice has to investigate or not an allegation of corruption, the application of FCPA will at least be suspended. That is to say that the limited resources that the US government has to investigate will not be used for a while to apply this law.”
"Perhaps going forward, if the US does not investigate the company or individual that pays a bribe, there will be much less evidence of corruption to investigate an official of any government that receives bribes. Unfortunately, the official who receives bribes may have less chance of being investigated," Francos said.
About LBKM
Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC is a boutique law firm focusing on international financial disputes, financial compliance, white collar defense and investigations, insurance and reinsurance, and cross-border commercial litigation and arbitration. The firm has offices in Washington, New York, London, and the Middle East.