Home / Issues / Telia Company AB's 2017 global bribery resolution over its entry into Uzbekistan's telecoms market
Telia Company AB's 2017 global bribery resolution over its entry into Uzbekistan's telecoms market
Decidedas of 31 Oct 2026United States; Netherlands; SwedenTelia Company ABCoscom LLCdraft
Current status
Confirmed fact · as of 21 Sep 2017
The corporate resolution combined a DOJ deferred prosecution agreement with the parent (Telia Company AB) and a guilty plea by the subsidiary Coscom LLC, an SEC settlement (disgorgement USD 457,169,977) and a Dutch resolution. The US criminal penalty was USD 274,603,972 (USD 548,603,972 combined with the Dutch authorities), and the global total across authorities was USD 965,773,949.
A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Press Release 2017-171: Telia Company AB Agrees to Pay $965 Million in Global Settlement for FCPA Violations (21 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · A U.S. Department of Justice, Telia Company AB and Its Uzbek Subsidiary Enter into a Global Foreign Bribery Resolution of More Than $965 Million (21 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Confirmed fact · as of 15 Feb 2019
A corporate resolution did not produce individual convictions in Sweden: a Stockholm court ACQUITTED three former Telia executives in February 2019. Corporate liability and individual criminal liability were decided differently.
C Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Telia to Pay US$965 Million to Resolve Karimova Bribery Case (22 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Last reviewed 31 Oct 2026. An initial allegation is not the final event; this block is always shown.
How it unfolded
Issue raised · 21 Sep 2017
Proposition: US, Dutch and Swedish authorities alleged that Telia Company AB and its Uzbek subsidiary Coscom LLC paid at least about USD 330 million in bribes to a shell company associated with a close relative of a high-ranking Uzbek government official, to enter and operate in Uzbekistan's telecommunications market, disguising the payments as consulting and lobbying fees, in violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other laws.
Affected parties: Telia Company AB, Coscom LLC, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), Swedish Prosecution Authority
Originating record: A U.S. Department of Justice, Telia Company AB and Its Uzbek Subsidiary Enter into a Global Foreign Bribery Resolution of More Than $965 Million (21 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Response · Telia Company AB · 21 Sep 2017
Attributed claim · as of 21 Sep 2017
Telia acknowledged the global settlement and reiterated that it had decided to exit the region; the company had earlier said the Uzbekistan entry was handled improperly. The acknowledgement is recorded in contemporaneous reporting. — Telia Company AB
C Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Telia to Pay US$965 Million to Resolve Karimova Bribery Case (22 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Outcome · U.S. Department of Justice; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie) · 21 Sep 2017
settlementbinding
Confirmed fact · as of 21 Sep 2017
Recorded precisely by forum. On 21 September 2017 Telia Company AB and its Uzbek subsidiary Coscom LLC entered a global resolution of more than USD 965 million (USD 965,773,949) across US and Dutch authorities, with Swedish authorities also involved. Telia Company AB entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ, and Coscom LLC pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA. The US criminal penalty was USD 274,603,972; combined with the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service the criminal penalty totalled USD 548,603,972, with offsets applied so payments were not duplicated. The SEC settlement provided for disgorgement of USD 457,169,977. The bribes, at least about USD 330 million, were paid to a shell company associated with a close relative of a high-ranking Uzbek government official and disguised as consulting and lobbying fees.
A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Press Release 2017-171: Telia Company AB Agrees to Pay $965 Million in Global Settlement for FCPA Violations (21 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · A U.S. Department of Justice, Telia Company AB and Its Uzbek Subsidiary Enter into a Global Foreign Bribery Resolution of More Than $965 Million (21 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Remedy: SEC disgorgement of USD 457,169,977; a US criminal penalty of USD 274,603,972 (USD 548,603,972 combined with the Dutch resolution); inter-authority offsets bringing the global total to USD 965,773,949.
Appeal/review: concluded — The corporate resolution was not appealed. Swedish prosecutors separately charged former Telia executives; a Stockholm court acquitted three former executives in February 2019. The individual proceedings are outside this corporate record. C Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Telia to Pay US$965 Million to Resolve Karimova Bribery Case (22 Sep 2017) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
How to read this. Allegation, response and outcome are separate, dated records. "Decided/resolved" appears only where a cited outcome supports it. Materially affected parties can request a correction via Corrections & response.