Telia Company AB

On 21 September 2017 the US Department of Justice announced that Telia entered a deferred prosecution agreement and that its Uzbek unit Coscom pleaded guilty to an FCPA bribery conspiracy^S1. DOJ put the combined US, Dutch and Swedish total at more than US$965 million, and the SEC ordered US$457 million in disgorgement^S1^S2. Telia put the corrupt payments at about US$330 million^S3. On 15 February 2019 the Stockholm District Court acquitted three former executives and dismissed a US$208.5 million forfeiture claim against the company^S5^S4. The Dutch prosecutor said in March 2019 that this reserved sum was paid to the Netherlands^S8. Svea Court of Appeal upheld the acquittals, in February 2021^S6^S7.

Also known as: Telia, TeliaSonera AB, TeliaSonera
Headquarters: Sweden
Records from: United States, Netherlands, Sweden
Current status: Telia Company AB is an operating telecommunications company. In September 2017 it resolved US and Dutch bribery cases over Uzbekistan for more than US$965 million^S1^S2^S3. The Stockholm District Court acquitted three former executives and dismissed a forfeiture claim against Telia in February 2019^S5. The reserved US$208.5 million went to the Dutch prosecutor in March 2019^S8. The appeal court upheld the acquittals in February 2021^S6^S7.

Scope. This record covers Telia Company AB and its former Uzbek subsidiary Coscom LLC. It does not cover other Nordic operators or the separate cases against VEON and MTS over Uzbekistan, and it does not assess any individual.

Claims assessed

3 claims. Scores grade the evidence for each claim, not the organization.

Supported95
The US Department of Justice said on 21 September 2017 that Telia and its Uzbek subsidiary Coscom agreed to pay more than US$965 million over bribes paid to win business in Uzbekistan.
Regulator statement, 21 September 20175 records citedBribery
Supported82
Swedish courts acquitted three former Telia executives of bribery over Uzbekistan in 2019, and the appeal court upheld the acquittals in February 2021.
Press report, 4 February 20215 records citedBribery
Outdated87
Telia said in September 2017 that the Swedish investigation was still ongoing and that the company may be subject to disgorgement proceedings in Sweden.
Company statement, 21 September 20174 records citedCorporate status

Cases and proceedings

United States v. Telia Company AB and United States v. Coscom LLCUS Department of Justice and US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Deferred prosecution agreement for Telia and guilty plea with sentence for Coscom^S1
- 21 September 2017 DPA entered and Coscom sentenced on a one count information^S1
In the Matter of Telia Company ABUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulatory. Not published.Stage: Settled administrative order
- 21 September 2017 Order requiring US$457 million in disgorgement^S2
Swedish Prosecution Authority v. three former Telia executivesStockholm District Court and Svea Court of Appeal. Criminal. B 12201-17 and B 12203-17 (Stockholm District Court).Stage: Acquittals upheld on appeal^S6^S7
- 15 February 2019 District court acquits and dismisses the forfeiture claim against Telia^S5^S4
- 4 February 2021 Appeal court upholds the acquittals, as reported^S6^S7

Responses on record

Telia Company AB, 21 September 2017, on The US Department of Justice said on 21 September 2017 that Telia and its Uzbek subsidiary...
Telia's then CEO called the sanction a painful reminder of what happens if the company does not do the right thing.^S3

Revision history

25 October 2026 Profile and 3 assessments first published. Records checked to 25 October 2026.

Source records

S1Tier A Telia Company AB and Its Uzbek Subsidiary Enter Into a Global Foreign Bribery Resolution of More Than $965 Million for Corrupt Payments in UzbekistanUS Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. Regulator press release. 21 September 2017.Supports the DPA, the Coscom plea, the admitted payments and the amounts. It gives no docket number.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S2Tier A Telecommunications Company Paying $965 Million For FCPA ViolationsUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulator press release. 21 September 2017.Supports the SEC disgorgement order and the description of payments to a shell company.
S5Tier A Verdict of acquittal in the Telia court caseStockholms tingsrätt (Stockholm District Court). Government press release. 15 February 2019.Court's own notice of the acquittals in cases B 12201-17 and B 12203-17 and the dismissal of the USD 208,500,000 forfeiture claim against Telia. It is not the full judgment.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S4Tier D Swedish court acquits former telecommunications executivesWillkie Farr and Gallagher LLP, Compliance Concourse. Academic paper. 15 February 2019.Professional note reporting the 2019 acquittals and the dismissed confiscation claim. It is not the judgment.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S6Tier C Appeals court upholds acquittal of former Telia bosses in bribery caseSveriges Radio. Press report. 4 February 2021.Reports the appeal outcome. No reporter is named.
S7Tier C Teliachefer frias även i hovrättenSVT Nyheter (TT). Press report. 4 February 2021.Reports Svea Court of Appeal's reasoning via a court spokesperson. It does not mention the confiscation claim.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S3Tier B Telia Company reaches a global settlement with the authorities regarding Uzbekistan investigationTelia Company AB. Company statement. 21 September 2017.Company account of the settlement and of the then open Swedish case. It does not report later Swedish rulings.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S8Tier A Telia pays remaining 208,500,000 USD from confiscation amount to Dutch Public Prosecution ServiceOpenbaar Ministerie (Netherlands Public Prosecution Service). Regulator press release. 19 March 2019.Prosecutor's notice that the amount reserved for Swedish confiscation was paid to the Netherlands under the 2017 settlement. It does not say whether the Swedish prosecutor appealed.Link working, checked 25 October 2026