Danish marine coatings manufacturer Hempel A/S and its German affiliate, Hempel GmbH, have resolved bribery allegations and agreed to pay a fine of DKK 220 million to the Danish State Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crime (SØIK) and the German Public Prosecutor’s Office of Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel. Hempel reported in August 2016 that it had launched internal compliance investigations in jurisdictions worldwide related to allegations of improper sales activities. In April 2017, Hempel self-reported to SOIK potential bribes to ship managers by employees in Germany, other countries in Europe, and Asia. According to the company, seven employees were dismissed, three senior executives left Hempel due to gross negligence, and the company’s operations were reorganized in several jurisdictions. The company further reported that it has taken measures to improve cooperation between the audit committee and the board, appointed a group internal auditor, increased internal audit resources, and upgraded its whistleblower system.
Hempel news release (March 2019)