Four former employees within Ericsson, all Swedish citizens, are being prosecuted according to a press release from the Public Prosecutor's Office for bribery.
They are suspected of bribing civil servants in Djibouti to win contracts for the supply of telecom equipment.
According to the indictment, the crimes took place during 2011–2012.
But crime is probably much greater in both scope and time.
The telecom giant has been investigated by US authorities for the suspected crimes and already in 2019 went on a huge fine, about ten billion kronor, after a settlement.
That investigation concerned bribery in China, Djibouti, Indonesia, Kuwait and Vietnam.
According to the settlement, these were crimes committed during the period 2000–2016.
Another preliminary investigation underway
The statute of limitations has accelerated the investigation regarding bribery in Djibouti ten years ago.
But there is also an ongoing investigation into irregularities in China, says chamber prosecutor Leif Görts.
- It concerns suspicions of irregularities in China during 2013-2016.
It is a preliminary investigation that is ongoing, so I do not want to go into details due to confidentiality.
Ericsson confirms that they are aware of the second ongoing preliminary investigation and writes in a written comment that "Ericsson cooperates with the authorities regarding this preliminary investigation as well, but refrains from commenting further as it is an ongoing process."
Cash transfers
The US authorities attacked the company as such.
The Swedish indictment now brought concerns natural persons who risk imprisonment for a maximum of six years.
The four accused have had different roles at different levels within the group, the Public Prosecutor's Office writes, but they are no longer employed within the company.
"The alleged bribes consist of cash transfers totaling just over two million dollars to government officials in Djibouti, via a consulting company in the country that Ericsson hired for, among other things, business development and marketing," writes chamber prosecutor Mats Jansson, who was the preliminary investigation leader, in a comment.