REAL-DOJ-2025-001·US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE·
Voting Machine Company Charged in Philippine Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme
Report date: (original source date). Article publication date: .
Report an error or privacy concernJURISDICTIONPHILIPPINESJURISDICTIONUNITED STATESJURISDICTIONUNITED KINGDOMSECTORTECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONSSTAGECHARGES
Summary
A federal grand jury charged SGO Corporation Limited, commonly known as Smartmatic, along with executives and a former Philippine election official. The superseding indictment alleges more than US$1 million in bribes connected with 2016 election contracts; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The indictment alleges that a slush fund was created through over-invoicing and that sham contracts and loan agreements were used to conceal payments.
Why it matters
The allegations involve election procurement, over-invoicing, sham agreements and cross-border movement of alleged bribe funds.
AB&C red flags
THIRD-PARTY INTERMEDIARYUNCLEAR
PUBLIC OFFICIALDETECTED
STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISENOT IDENTIFIED
GIFTS & HOSPITALITYNOT IDENTIFIED
PROCUREMENT / TENDERINGDETECTED
CHARITABLE DONATION / SPONSORSHIPNOT IDENTIFIED
POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONNOT IDENTIFIED
FACILITATION PAYMENTNOT IDENTIFIED