Smartmatic, officially known as SGO Corporation Limited, is facing criminal charges in the United States for allegedly paying and laundering over $1 million in bribes to former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Andres Bautista in exchange for election-related contracts during the 2016 national and local polls in the Philippines.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), a federal grand jury in Miami, Florida indicted Smartmatic, along with Bautista and company executives Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez, Jorge Miguel Vasquez, and Elie Moreno, for conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments.
The DOJ added that SGO Corporation, as well as Piñate and Vasquez, also face charges of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) — a U.S. law that prohibits bribing foreign officials to secure business advantages.
Court documents allege that Piñate and Vasquez orchestrated the $1-million bribe to Bautista to ensure that Smartmatic would obtain COMELEC contracts, receive value-added tax reimbursements, and benefit from other contractual payments.
Both Bautista and Moreno remain at large, while U.S. authorities continue efforts to locate and apprehend them.
If convicted, the accused could face up to 20 years in prison for international money laundering and conspiracy-related offenses.