The cited record supports the material proposition.
The US Department of Justice said on 18 February 2016 that VimpelCom and Unitel would pay more than US$795 million in US and Dutch penalties over bribes paid in Uzbekistan.
- About
- VEON Ltd.
- Claim made by
- US Department of Justice, regulator statement
- Published
- 18 February 2016
- Evidence score
- 93 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The DOJ release states the deferred prosecution agreement for VimpelCom, the guilty plea of Unitel and the combined penalty of US$795,326,398.40S1. It states that the companies paid more than US$114 million in bribes to an Uzbek government official between 2006 and 2012. It records a criminal penalty split with the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and US$375 million in disgorgement shared between the SEC and Dutch authorities. It says VimpelCom falsified its books and records. VEON's 2019 filing confirms the DPA date of 18 February 2016S2. The DPA rests on company admissions. The SEC order itself was not read for this review.
Current procedural position
Deferred prosecution agreement for VimpelCom and guilty plea by Unitel LLC in the Southern District of New York, announced on 18 February 2016S1. DPA concluded on 31 October 2019 per the companyS2.
Record supporting the assessment
combined total amount of U.S. and Dutch criminal and regulatory penalties
more than $114 million in bribery payments
falsified its books and records
entered into on 18 February 2016 with the US Department of Justice has concluded
Conflicting or limiting record
No record located that conflicts with this assessment.
Evidence score: 93 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of VEON Ltd.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 30 | 30 | DOJ is the prosecuting authority. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 20 | 20 | The release states the agreement, the plea and the amount. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 11 | 15 | The company's 2019 filing confirms the DPA. The SEC order was not read. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 14 | 15 | The DPA ran its term and DOJ moved to dismiss the deferred charges. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 8 | 10 | No later change to the resolution was found as of October 2026. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 10 | 10 | The release is in the DOJ archive. |
| Total | 93 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. VimpelCom Ltd. and United States v. Unitel LLCUS Department of Justice and US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Criminal. Not published.Stage: DPA concluded and motion to dismiss deferred charges filed, per VEONS2
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S1Tier A VimpelCom Limited and Unitel LLC Enter into Global Foreign Bribery Resolution of More Than $795 MillionUS Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. Regulator press release. 18 February 2016.Supports the DPA, the Unitel plea, the amounts, the admitted conduct and the monitor term. It gives no docket number.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S2Tier B 2016 Deferred Prosecution Agreement concludes as monitor certifies VEON's compliance programmeVEON Ltd., Form 6-K filed with the SEC. Company filing. 31 October 2019.Company account of the end of the DPA and monitorship and of the DOJ dismissal motion.
Other claims about VEON Ltd.
- Outdated77DOJ said in February 2016 that VimpelCom must retain a compliance monitor for three years.Regulator statement, 18 February 20163 records citedCorporate status
- Partly supported66VEON said in September 2023 that it had not been targeted by US, EU or UK sanctions at any point since February 2022.Company statement, 5 September 20234 records citedSanctions