Partly supported
A material part is supported, but the published wording goes beyond the record.
OCCRP reported in December 2022 that ABB agreed to pay US$315 million to settle a multinational bribery investigation.
agreed to pay $315 million to settle a multinational bribery investigation
- About
- ABB Ltd
- Claim made by
- OCCRP, press report
- Published
- 7 December 2022
- Evidence score
- 87 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The US$315 million figure is the DOJ criminal penaltyS1. The DOJ agreed to credit up to half of that penalty against amounts paid to other authorities, including South AfricaS1. The SEC imposed a separate US$75 million civil penalty and more than US$72 million in disgorgement, subject to creditsS2. ABB put the total of all its settlements at US$327 millionS3. The same OCCRP report later gives the US$327 million figureS5. The headline number is correct for the DOJ penalty, but describing it as the cost of the whole multinational settlement goes beyond the record.
Current procedural position
Resolutions announced on 2 December 2022S1S3. Amounts accounted for in ABB's third quarter 2022 resultsS3.
Record supporting the assessment
Pursuant to the DPA, ABB’s total criminal penalty is $315 million.
The settlements total $327 million.
Conflicting or limiting record
The department has agreed to credit up to one-half of the criminal penalty against amounts the company pays to authorities in South Africa
The company has agreed to pay a $75 million civil penalty to settle the SEC’s charges.
Evidence score: 87 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of ABB Ltd. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 27 | 30 | DOJ and SEC releases fix the amounts, with ABB's release as the company's total. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 16 | 20 | The amounts are stated directly but the credits make the net total a calculation. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 13 | 15 | DOJ, SEC, ABB and OCCRP figures are consistent once credits are counted. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 13 | 15 | The resolutions are concluded. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 9 | 10 | Checked against the 2025 dismissal, which did not change the amounts. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 9 | 10 | All releases are public. |
| Total | 87 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- In the Matter of ABB LtdUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulatory. Not published.Stage: Settled cease-and-desist order.
- ABB consents to the order, US$75 million penalty and more than US$72 million disgorgementS2
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Partly supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S1Tier A ABB Agrees to Pay Over $315 Million to Resolve Coordinated Global Foreign Bribery CaseUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 2 December 2022.Supports the DPA, the penalty, the guilty pleas and the disclosure credit. It does not give the South African amount.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S3Tier B ABB concludes settlements for Kusile projectABB Ltd. Company statement. 2 December 2022.ABB's total of US$327 million and its list of authorities. It does not break out the South African payment.
- S2Tier A Press Release 2022-214US Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulator press release. Dated 3 December 2022 on the page.Supports the Kusile contract value, the US$37 million in payments and the SEC amounts. It does not cover the 2025 dismissal.
- S5Tier C Swiss Company ABB to Pay $315 Million in South African Bribery ProbeOCCRP. Press report. 7 December 2022.Report by Inci Sayki using the US$315 million headline figure. It later gives US$327 million across agencies.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
Other claims about ABB Ltd
- Supported95The US Justice Department and the SEC said in December 2022 that ABB, through subsidiaries, paid bribes to a South African government official at Eskom in connection with the Kusile power station.Regulator statement, 2 December 20223 records citedBribery
- Supported86ABB said it voluntarily disclosed improper payments on the Kusile project and cooperated fully with the authorities.Company statement, 2 December 20224 records citedBribery
- Outdated95The US Justice Department said in December 2022 that ABB entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement.Regulator statement, 2 December 20224 records citedCorporate status