【双语新闻】Carmaker Daimler confesses to paying bribes

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　　2006年3月7日 星期二
　　汽车制造商戴-克承认行贿Carmaker Daimler confesses to paying bribes

　　在德国检察机关对戴姆勒克莱斯勒（DaimlerChrysler）展开调查之际，该公司昨天承认曾行贿。美国也已对该汽车制造商进行调查。
　　DaimlerChrysler admitted yesterday that it had paid bribes as German prosecutors opened an investigation into the carmaker alongside an existing US probe.

　　在戴姆勒克莱斯勒的总部所在地斯图加特，州检察机关启动了行贿调查，公司涉嫌贿赂比利时、加纳的政府官员和波兰一商业买家。

　　State prosecutors in Stuttgart， Daimler‘s home town， started examining alleged bribery of public officials in Belgium and Ghana and a commercial buyer in Poland.

　　戴姆勒克莱斯勒表示，“数名”雇员已因“主要”在东欧、非洲和亚洲行贿而被解雇或停职。

　　Daimler said “several” employees had been fired or suspended over bribes paid “primarily” in eastern Europe， Africa and Asia.

　　该汽车制造商宣布，将彻底检查其道德规范控制机制，并承诺“营造公开、诚实的文化”。

　　The carmaker announced an overhaul of its ethics controls and pledged to “foster a culture of openness and honesty”。

　　在18个月的公司内部调查后，公司承认“不正当支出”可能导致在美国和德国受到罚款，还可能受到刑事指控。

　　The admission of “improper payments”， after an 18-month internal investigation， could lead to fines and possible criminal action in the US and Germany.

　　美国证券交易委员会（SEC）和司法部（Department of Justice）正对一名被解雇员工的指控进行调查。该员工称，公司拥有数百万美元的“小金库”用于贿赂。

　　The US Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice are investigating allegations by a dismissed employee that the company maintained multimillion dollar slush funds for bribery.

　　戴姆勒克莱斯勒内部人士表示，新任首席执行官迪特尔。齐泽（Dieter Zetsche）支持提倡道德行为的活动。“（首席财务官）博多。乌博（Bodo Uebber）和齐泽确实在清理门户，”一位内部人士表示。“他们正在仔细清理公司。”

　　Daimler insiders said Dieter Zetsche， the new chief executive， put his weight behind a campaign to promote ethical behaviour. “[Bodo] Uebber [chief financial officer] and Zetsche are really cleaning the house，” one said. “They are going through the company with a fine comb.”

　　这些贿赂是在过去12年里支付的。

　　The bribes were paid over the past 12 years.

　　一位接近德国检察机关的人士表示，贿赂额相对较小。“有一笔贿赂不到10万欧元（合12.028万美元）。其它几笔贿赂金额较大，但总额远低于1000万欧元，”他表示。

　　A person close to the German prosecutors said the bribes were relatively small. “In one case， it is less than ?100，000 （$120，280）。 The others are more substantial but in total， we are talking about far less than ?10m，” he said.

　　戴姆勒克莱斯勒表示，由于行贿并发现2003年纳税不足，公司已从发表的2003年资产负债表中减去2.22亿欧元。

　　Daimler said it had cut ?222m from the published balance sheet for 2003 because of the bribes and the discovery of underpaid taxes for the period.