Thursday January 31, 08:47 PM
Scandal-hit Siemens extends limited amnesty offer by a month
FRANKFURT (AFP) - Scandal-wracked Germen engineering giant Siemens (Xetra: 723610 - news) said Thursday it would extend a limited amnesty for staff that expose illegal practices by one more month.
The operation decided by new chief executive Peter Loescher would be prolonged "once, until the end of February," the group said.
Siemens added that it had noted "an important trend in the past weeks."
Around 66 workers had come forth with information, and 54 cases were still under study, the company said.
In early November (Frankfurt: A0S9N7 - news) , Siemens said it had uncovered 1.3 billion euros (1.9 billion dollars) in a number of dubious transactions, highlighting the scope of corruption scandals that have engulfed the company.
The group in particular is alleged to have made payments in foreign countries to obtain contracts and has struggled with the revelations since late 2005.
On Thursday, board member Peter Solmssen, who was tasked to handle ethical questions, said the operation aimed at getting staff to divulge what they knew about corrupt practices "is a great success."
Two requests for amnesty had been rejected and 10 approved.
Siemens has promised not to take "any heavy sanctions, such as a firing or request for damages and interest, against staff that inform the company in an exhaustive and honest manner of violations of the law or irregularities in the accounts."
But the group did reserve the right to impose lighter sanctions such as a warning, transfer or an obligation to undergo ethical training.
The offer does not cover senior executives, such as board members and cannot prevent possible judicial action.
Internal investigators are also looking into allegations that Siemens gave several million euros (dollars) in funding to the head of the AUB trade union to build it up as a counterweight to the large, established IG Metall labour union.
Former Siemens boss Klaus Kleinfeld and supervisory board president Heinrich von Pierer have already left the company as a result of the scandals.
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